CONFRONTING ATTITUDE

Part 2

By David Woodbury

As we discovered in part 1 the heart is the seat of the consciousness and the will. In the Old Testament the heart was regarded then as the centre of intellectual activity, and even today we refer to the heart as the centre of emotions. (See Gen 6:5, Psalms 15:1-2, 1 Kings 4:29, Proverbs 6:18) If we are to confront attitude we must go to the basis of this characteristic.

In confronting attitude the heart must be guarded

Clearly the Bible teaches that the heart is the seat of our attitudes and as such, we need to be continually monitoring its condition. We cannot assume that automatically our hearts will only absorb that which is good and noble. There is a sense in which the heart is like a sponge, soaking up the influences, events and opinions that bombard us each and every day and we need to be intentional in filtering out those things which are unchristlike and harmful.

The Old Testament was very clear about the impact the heart has on our attitude and mindset. 23 Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. (Proverbs 4:23 - NLT) Perhaps another translation put it more clearly: Above everything else, guard your heart; for it is the source of life’s consequences. (Proverbs 4:23 – Complete Jewish Bible) Whatever translation we consult there are three distinct themes are evident.

• Keep – the need for security
• Vigilance – the suggestion of care and watchfulness
• Flow – the concept of a never-ending source

The writer of Proverbs was acutely aware that the heart is the source of our attitudes and perceptions. Consequently, we need to be continually aware that those things that impact the heart find their outcome in the attitudes we integrate into our mindset and our outlook on living. Each of us, by our thoughts, attitudes, and actions are constantly planting for future reaping. Time may pass before the crop ripens, but the harvest never fails. The true nature of the seed we have scattered will surely be revealed! 

Just as the human body cannot sustain the failure of the heart the spiritual being cannot truly exist and function while ever the spiritual heart is defective.

The terrible twins

While the heart is the source of our mindset and attitudes other characteristics will have a bearing on the attitudes we formulate. Nothing impacts life and attitude as forcibly as the terrible twins of guilt and fear. All too often we allow these terrible twins to not only dominate our lives but also to form our attitudes, often quite unconsciously. Often they are rooted in the past and the reality is that we cannot change the past and we must deal with honestly and be ready to move on. 12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Phil 3:12-14 (NLT)

Fear and guilt will always negatively impact our attitude. Living in the past and hanging on to our guilt and regrets; living with the fear of what could happen. Both must inevitably distort our attitude to life.

The great danger of humanity is to become shackled to their past glories or their past failures. Both will inhibit us from developing good attitudes. The person who is stuck in the glories of the past cannot see the good things that God has for them now because their focus is on what has already been achieved. Likewise, the person shackled by the guilt of the past cannot experience the goodness of God in the present because they are mired in events they cannot change.

There is a sense in which we live in a time where future security is highlighted and we are encouraged to be continually focused on whether or not we will be financially secure in our retirement. While it is certainly prudent to plan for the future there is a sense in which the style of information used by advertisers can make us anxious and over-concerned about the future. The warning that Jesus gave in Matthew 6: 24 is pertinent and relevant, even today. To not worry about tomorrow, was not an invitation to live life with gay abandon, but rather counsel on keeping a balance as each day will surely bring its own cares and worries.

Paul echoes a similar sentiment in his letter to the church at Philippi:  Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:6-7 - NLT)

Nothing destroys peace of heart and clouds the mind as does and anxious and stressful spirit. Despite all the achievements of modern life, the reality is that we live in a tense and anxious world than is growing more stressful by the day. Rather than information, of which there is more and more, allaying our stress and anxiety it increases it and actually adds to it. Nothing corrupts attitudes more than stress and anxiety. Of all people, the Christian needs to embrace prayer as the authentic means of reducing stress and anxiety. When we have laid our requests before God in prayer we need to leave the matter there and intentionally experience that peace that passes all understanding.