Monday August 24
An Attitude Adjustment
Our attitudes often determine our ability to influence others. A harsh, critical, and unfriendly attitude is going to drive people away from you, and even if you are able to witness, your words, no matter how truthful, are much less likely to be received.
Amen. When one is truly converted, they have love, joy, and peace, and this is seen by the world.
In contrast, a positive attitude and a belief in others draws them to us. It creates a bond of friendship. Jesus stated this principle beautifully when He said, “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15, NKJV). Friends accept one another in spite of their weaknesses and mistakes and freely share their joys and sorrows.
Read Matthew 15:21-28 and Mark 14:6-9.
15:21 Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.
15:22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, [thou] son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
15:23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
15:24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
15:25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
15:26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and cast [it] to dogs.
15:27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.
15:28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great [is] thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
14:6 And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me.
14:7 For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.
14:8 She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.
14:9 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, [this] also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.
These texts describe two women of widely differing circumstances. Jesus appears to be harsh with one and gentle with the other. What indications do you have in these passages that Jesus was reaching out with His saving grace with each one and building trust?
The woman in Matthew 15 is a Canaanite. Jesus intentionally refuses her request initially so that, as she persists, her faith will grow. He eventually grants her desire and then makes an amazing statement that no religious leader in Judea at that time would ever make to a poor Canaanite woman. He publicly says, “O woman, great is your faith!” (Matt. 15:28, NKJV). He gives her one of the greatest compliments any religious teacher could ever give. Can you imagine how her heart rejoiced and her life was changed?
The woman who anoints Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume is a Jew — a woman of ill repute, a woman who has failed badly and sinned often, but one who was forgiven, transformed and made new again. When others criticize her, Jesus compliments her and approves of her actions. He declares, “Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, [this] also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her." Mark 14:9.
In view of the two stories we have read above, what are the essentials of a positive winning attitude? What kind of attitude adjustments do you need, not just for witnessing, but for life in general
We can learn from the Words to Nicodemus a Laodicean leader in Israel. When we are truly in a converted state and filled with the Holy Spirit, we will manifest the fruits of the Spirit, not one will be missing. The important question is what must I do in order to be filled with the Spirit, born of the Spirit? Jesus tells Nicodemus that by beholding Him lifted up on the cross, he will be transformed, born again of the Spirit. Where did He present this truth to Nicodemus?