Attitude Check

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.”         

                                                                                    —Philippians 2:5

When our children were young, we attended the Cherry Run Camp meeting each July. Cherry Run is a Christian family and youth camp located near Rimersburg, PA. Thursday was always Mission Marathon day. The campers would get pledges for each point they might score on the all-day Christian Olympics. Campers and their teams would run, jump, play soccer, softball, and a variety of team and individual games. At the end of the day, the scores were tallied and pledges received. All proceeds went to a chosen mission project.

One challenge of having teams compete all day long at a Christian Camp is attitude. The campers are competitive, and campers get tired. The staff devised a plan to correct unchristian attitudes. If anyone showed any type of bad or unsportsman-like attitude, then a fellow team member, opposing team member, official, or coach could yell, “Attitude check!” To that call, everyone would shout, “Praise the Lord!” If the person with the bad attitude did not correct their attitude, others would yell again, “Attitude check.” This might be repeated several times until a Christ-like attitude prevailed.

Many times, we need someone to check our attitudes. The Holy Spirit checks our attitude by gently speaking to us, but we often don’t want our attitude checked. We might feel justified by a critical spirit, a pouting disposition, or a personal pity party. God is always faithful to cause a check in our spirit when we sin or display an unchristian attitude, but the Holy Spirit does not yell louder if we refuse to heed. At times, we need a fellow Christian to call our attention to our bad attitude.

This Lenten season, I am leading our church on a journey examining the serving attitude of Jesus as found in Philippians chapter 2. The passage begins with an attitude check of sorts, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). How true. A Christian should have the same attitude that Jesus had, but we are human. Jesus is fully human and fully divine. As we compare ourselves with Jesus, we always come up short.

When considering attitude, I like to recite the Fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Fruit of the Spirit is all about attitude. 1 Corinthians 13 reminds us that we can have all the gifts of the Spirit and give ourselves in sacrificial service, but if done with the wrong attitude, it’s worth nothing (13:1-3).

You may be far overdue for an attitude check up. My dentist gives me little reminders when it’s time for a dental checkup. When is the last time you took a spiritual assessment of your attitude? It’s simple to do. Prayerfully read over the Fruit of the Spirit and ask yourself how you have been stacking up compared to Jesus. Better yet, ask your spouse or trusted friend.

Comparing ourselves to Jesus usually leaves us feeling broken and guilty, but conviction of sin is an opportunity to repent and receive God’s grace. The Fruit of the Spirit is the character of Jesus becoming a reality by the Holy Spirit’s presence and activity in our lives. Peter told the crowd on the day of Pentecost, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). After completing an attitude checkup, repent, receive forgiveness, and receive God’s Nature by the Holy Spirit. Attitude Check; Praise the Lord!