The Subject is Attitude
By Minister Alice Gier

One of the key reasons that Christians aren’t basking in the blessings of God is their attitude. God declares in His Word through the prophet Isaiah:

If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land...

(Isaiah 1:19)

Although obedience has been stressed, willingness has received little attention. Where the root word for obedience - obey - simply means to carry out orders or to do as one is told, the word willing means to agree to do something, or to do something readily or gladly.

The fact that God expects us to willingly obey Him points to our attitude. Attitude means the behavior of a person toward a situation or cause, or behavior that shows what one is thinking or feeling. Many have been diligent about cooperating with God’s instructions but, sadly, they don’t always have their hearts in it. Again, God through His prophet said, If ye be willing AND obedient... that the partaking of the good of the land is promised. God, through His prophet, goes on to say in Isaiah 1:20,

But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured ...

The only one going about seeking whom he may devour is Satan. I believe that many Christians’ blessings are being held in limbo between the promises of these two verses of scripture. They obediently, for the most part, do what they are instructed to do, but their attitude tends toward rebellion. For example, God instructs us to give tithes and offerings in Malachi 3.

In 2 Corinthians 9:7, Paul instructs us on how to give offerings. He writes:

Every man according as he purposes in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

Many have taken the attitude that, “Well, at least I’m doing what God has instructed me to do” or, concerning giving, “well, at least my tax liability won’t be so bad.” They grudgingly obey, rather than have a heartfelt appreciation that God has provided a means for demonstrating our love to Him for all that He has freely given to us.

As Christians, we should stop looking to money to meet our need, but look to God. But many respond, saying: “What can I be happy about?” Jesus (God in flesh) said to the seventy after they returned from their missionary journey rejoicing in the fact that the devils were subject to them,

... rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

(Luke 10:20)

Hence, our attitude must be established on our relationship with God and not on a natural perception of our situation - whether positive or negative. To receive the blessing, the willingness part, like the obedience part of complying with God’s command in Isaiah 1:19, must be based solely on His word.

David declared in Psalms 144:15,

Happy is that people … whose God is the Lord.

In Psalms 146:5, he said,

Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God.

You see, David, a man after God’s own heart, anchored his attitude on God and God alone, although he was confronted with many situations that weren’t conducive to a positive outlook. Even when facing Goliath, David was not shaken in his attitude. The hallmark of David’s life was that he was a blessed man.

It is written of Jesus, as He faced the cross in Hebrews 12:2:

... who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame ...

His attitude was based solely on his relationship with God and His Word. The issue for Christians attempting to receive from God is to develop the God kind of attitude.

In Genesis 1:28, we see that God placed man in dominion over His creation. The Father lost creation after Adam’s high treason, but He never acted in a way that was contrary to His Word. He never indicated that He was down or discouraged. God’s Word declares:

For as he (a man) thinketh in his heart, so is he…

(Proverbs 23:7)

Also, recall Paul’s admonition on giving:

... as he (a man) purposes in his heart, so let him give ...”

(2 Corinthians 9:7)

Therefore, we, being made in the very likeness of God, must also live above the circumstances of our lives. We must possess an attitude that is God-like. We must be ... stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord ...” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

And what is that work? According to Jesus it is, ”… to believe…” (John 6:29). So then our attitude must always be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in believing God and His Word. Just as God is, so too must we be. In other words, as he is, so are we in this world (1 John 4:17). Does God’s attitude line up with His Word? You know it does! Therefore, your attitude must align with the words you speak - especially when speaking God’s Word.

... the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart,” God declared in 1 Samuel 16:7. So the start of a true positive attitude must begin in the heart of a man, the real man on the inside - the spirit man.

When Jesus was confronted with the question, “...which is the great commandment in the law?” He responded, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart ...,” Matthew 22:36-37. Our first and primary response to God and His Word must be a heart response. Our attitude must be one rooted in and springing from the heart.

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

(Matthew 6:21)

If you hold your relationship with God as being of the utmost value, the proper attitude will issue forth from your heart.

The next arena where your attitude needs to be in line with God and His Word is in your soulish man. This is the area that encompasses your intellect, emotions and will. The heart attitude should be one that disciplines the mind, rejects the negative and embraces the positive, and directs the will. Paul admonishes us to think on those things which are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, if there be any virtue or praise (Philippians 4:8).

Although feelings are a genuine part of life, our attitudes must not be ruled or dictated by our emotions. For example, the scriptures say to be angry and sin not (Ephesians 4:26). Anger is a valid emotion, but to have our attitudes ruled or controlled by anger is to miss the mark with God. Our wills should be directed by our heart, in harmony with obedience to God and His word. So our behavior, based on God and His Word in agreement with the decision to go God’s way, must be in line to receive the blessing or the promise. Our behavior is the attitude of our heart and the attitude of our soul in line with God and His Word.

When a decision is made to act on the Word of God, the way we think, feel and act must be consistent with the expected end. If we expect healing, we must think, feel [we use of the word feel here to denote a spiritual sensing rather than a physical sensation, i.e. for when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:10) and I am strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might (Ephesians 6:10)] and act healed to receive the end of our hope. If we expect prosperity from God’s Word, we must think prosperous, feel prosperous and act prosperous. If we expect blessings from God’s Word, we must think blessed, feel blessed and act blessed.

Remember, if you are willing AND obedient, you will eat the good of the land. And land means here on earth, not when you get to heaven.