Attitudes that Lead to Success - Part 1
There are 5 attitudes I believe God would want us to build into our lives so we can truly experience the success God desires to bring through our lives here at The Bridge.
These attitudes will not only help us in our church, but if you apply these into every area of your life you will also experience God's blessing and success.
What is an Attitude:
A mental position with regard to a fact or state; a feeling or emotion toward a fact or state.
It is the way we Look at and Approach life
God is interested not only in our outward acts but also in the attitudes of our heart.
1Sam. 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
Phil 2: 5-7
The Bible endorses several attitudes -
Gratitude / thankfulness - Col 3:16
Compassion - Col 3:12
Kindness
Gentleness
Joy - Phil 4:4
In this passage of Jeremiah and in the Wisdom books of the Old Testament, there are 5 attitudes especially associated with success. We must keep these attitudes in place if we are to see the success & blessings God intends for us to live in.
- Fear of the Lord
"This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says..."
He is God Almighty - who is larger than our circumstances, he is mighty and powerful and we are called to "Fear Him"
A reverential AWE
Sometimes we prefer to look at our relationship with God much like a lion tamer in a circus. As if God were the lion and we were the lion tamer. We use our technology and science like a whip and chair to make the lion do what we want. The lion is always stronger and able to bite the man in two and occasionally we are tragically reminded of it like the Vegas showmen Siegfried & Roy.
God is a kind and loving God but He will not be controlled
Fear of the Lord : Taking God seriously enough to obey Him and stay within the boundaries He sets.
Is. 8:13 The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy,
he is the one you are to fear,
he is the one you are to dread,
We must never forget that God is a good God, but He is God - alone
Blessings that come with the Fear of the Lord
Prov. 28:14 Blessed is the man who always fears the LORD,
but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.
Psa. 128:1 Blessed are all who fear the LORD,
who walk in his ways.
2 You will eat the fruit of your labor;
blessings and prosperity will be yours.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
your sons will be like olive shoots
around your table.
4 Thus is the man blessed
who fears the LORD.
Jer 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future
The fear of the Lord involves
~ Having an undivided heart that is loyal to God
Jer 29:8 Yes, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. 9 They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them," declares the LORD.
They were playing spiritual games. They wanted to be the ones in charge, making God say and do what they wanted him to say & do.
Psa. 86:11 Teach me your way, O LORD,
and I will walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.
Opposite of Fear of the Lord:
Prov. 8:13 To fear the LORD is to hate evil;
I hate pride and arrogance,
evil behavior and perverse speech.
- Pride - thinking that It is all about me
- Arrogance - thinking that I know best and if everyone else around me would just do it the way I told them to everything would go good.
- Evil behaviour - dissension, divisiveness, harm
- Perverse speech - twisted / untrue
Perverse - inclination to resist authority or control; especially a wrongheaded, determined, or cranky opposition to what is good, reasonable or normal.
Prov. 17:20 A man of perverse heart does not prosper;
he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.
What will it mean for our church - The Bridge - to fear the Lord as we seek to bring God's blessings to our community.
Believe God knows what is best for our lives and our communities and we must give him our highest regard.
We look to Him - we pray to hear from him,
We grow in knowing His word, what he says - He has written to us - just like he did to the people in Jeremiahs time. We become a people who are growing in knowing and living his Word
We are committed to doing what he says because He said to do it
We acknowledge Him as we talk to people
- Trust in the Lord - Prov 3:5-6
Trust - assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something b: one in which confidence is placed to place confidence: depend - Merriam Webster
Trust in the Lord - Counting on God keeping his word
Those who fear the Lord also trust Him
Psa. 147:10 His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his delight in the legs of a man;
11 the LORD delights in those who fear him,
who put their hope in his unfailing love.
Blessings of Trusting in the Lord
Psa. 37:3 Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psa. 37:5 Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
Trusting in the Lord means
- Believing God engaged in life and will reward those who earnestly seek him
Heb 11:6 ... anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
- Relying on God to come through
Is. 31:1 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help,
who rely on horses,
who trust in the multitude of their chariots
and in the great strength of their horsemen,
but do not look to the Holy One of Israel,
or seek help from the LORD.
- Staying faithful to God's direction even though things look impossible
2 Cor 1:10
10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us,
It means we don't trust in something else
The Fear of the Lord and Trusting in the Lord are two attitudes that put us on the path to discover and experience the success God wants us to live, as a church and as individuals.
Where I begin to consider that God may have something to say about where I live and what I do - and I take that seriously
And I am trusting Him enough to actually move out in what we believe He is saying.
This morning would you say the Lord is High and lifted up in your hearts attitude - your approach to life.
Does he have the place of honour? Do you take him seriously enough that you would do what he says? This is where true blessing and success start. Next - are you placing your trust in him, are you counting on him? Perhaps this morning you would want to renew your relationship with him. This next season in the life of the Bridge will be an exciting one because we are people who are growing in a healthy fear of the Lord and are stepping out in trusting him.