Godly Attitude, Worldly Latitude

An Attitude of ATTITUDES© is realizing how we view the world through different types of attitudes which exist. People use the lenses of their own and others’ thoughts, feelings, emotions, beliefs, ideas, intentions, motivations, or opinions which form their personal perceptions. However, the bible teaches that if those affective (emotional) or cognitive (thought) aspects of attitude interfere with the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; then we need to do as scripture says and “Pull down that stronghold (barrier attitude) and bring into captivity every thought unto the obedience of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5) Let’s face it; we are human beings living in a fleshly body with an inner soulish and spiritual composition. However, as musical composer Donald Lawrence would say in the hook of one of his songs, “You’re not a natural being having a spiritual experience, but you’re a spiritual being living in this natural experience.” Although we realize this fact, sometimes our internal thoughts, feelings, and emotions are altered by life’s external circumstances; which can cause us to behave in an improper way. This behavior is normally a reflexive response after a certain stimuli causes an inducement of stress within us. There’s a biblical proverb which says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7) And another proverb says, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of the heart, are the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23) Together, both scriptural texts reveal that whatever is in the mind and heart of humankind is very powerful and can manifest itself inwardly and reveal itself outwardly. This is why the Word of God attests to the fact of the guarding of our hearts; which is watching what we allow ourselves to become intellectually or emotionally involved with internally. Being on guard keeps us from inner hurt, harm, and danger. Therefore, we should get to know God, His Word, ourselves, and others by the practice of being aware of what particular attitudes are suitable for whichever situation that arises in our daily interactions with God, within ourselves, and with other human beings. The following matrix allows us a sight picture of how we, as a tri-part beings, can understand and accomplish this feat by awareness and acceptance of the following wholistic composition of humanity: Our bodies = self-consciousness – taste, touch, smell, sight, and sound. Our souls = world consciousness – will, mind, emotion, feeling, lust, and desire. Our spirits = God consciousness – conscience, discernment, revelation, inspiration, and impartation. Furthermore, our human ways of interpretation of attitudes are tested within the realm of human development concepts which have been researched and studied by scholars in respect to the following list of interactions: spiritual, relational, ethical, recreational, emotional, intellectual, physical, mental, and carnal or natural. And, we can’t disregard how humans have described how attitudes can be improved upon by discovery and knowledge of our personality temperaments, such as the following: judger, feeler, perceiver, analyzer, introvert, extrovert, intuitive, and innateness of human beings. Finally, further explanations of our attitude maturity levels of: awareness, acknowledgement, application, and adaptation; or our learning styles of: visual, audible, participative, experimentation, and observational can affect how quickly we discover how to master the use of attitudes to our advantage. Motivator and author Stephen R. Covey stated, “All of us think we see the world as it is: when in reality, we see the world as we are.” So, let’s look upon the needs of others’ attitude too and not just care about ourselves only. The bible puts it this way, “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:3-5)