Communicating a Positive Attitude

In my introductory talk at the beginning of the week, I defined a “patriot” as

“one who fulfills his allotted role in the nation in which God has placed him.”

I chose that definition because I wanted to emphasize that the nation in which we find ourselves is not primarily a matter of our own individual choice, it is a matter of a destiny which has its origin in God’s decision. And when we see it that way we react quite differently to the situation in which we find ourselves. Let me give you that definition again. I want to imprint it on your mind. A patriot is one who fulfills his allotted role in the nation in which God has placed him.

In that and the following talks, I have pointed out certain aspects of attitude and character, which we need to cultivate if we are to be true patriots in this sense; that is, if we are to fulfill our allotted role. I have pointed out these three attitudes:

1. First, seeing ourselves as part of a whole—not just seeing ourselves as individuals detached from everything and everybody around us.
2. Second, being “relatable.” And I coined that word to describe the kind of person who can accept and fulfill the obligations of a covenant in his relationship to his fellow men.
3. And third, seeing ourselves as contributors—approaching a situation with the attitude “What can I contribute?” not “What can I get of this?”

And I spoke about adding to our faith ‘excellence’, being excellent whatever we are—excellent nurses, excellent teachers, excellent janitors, excellent mechanics—whatever it may be. Producing a higher level of contribution and achievement than we would if we were not Christians. Today I am going to share about another kind of attitude which goes along with these and I title it, “Communicating a Positive Attitude.”

You see, as Christians, we ought to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. And if we are not part of the solution, if we are part of the problem, then there is something wrong with our Christianity. I heard someone define maturity this way: solving more problems than you create. That is rather a good thought, isn’t it? Do you go through life creating more problems than you solve, or solving more problems than you create? If you are in the first category, then you are immature and your Christianity is by no means what it ought to be. As a Christian you should be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

I am going to read some very beautiful words from the book of Job chapter 22 verses 26–30:  

“Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty and will lift up your face to God.”  

I want you to see that all that is in this passage proceeds out of our attitude toward God. When we find “delight in the Almighty,” that has a bearing on everything else in our lives.  

“You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows.”  

See, a Christian ought to be a person who gets his prayers answered, and the people around about you ought to know that you get your prayers answered. Many, many times I’ve had people who are not Christians come to me and ask me to pray for something, and they have said in so many words, “I know God answers your prayers.” Well, that is being part of the solution, not part of the problem. The next verse:  

“What you decide on will be done, and light will shine on your ways.”  

Elsewhere in the Bible, in Deuteronomy chapter 28, it is expressed this way: being the head and not the tail. The head is the decision-making part of the body; the tail just gets dragged around wherever the head decides to go. Which are you? Are you living like the head, or are you living like the tail? Do you make decisions and see them carried out? Or do you just get dragged around by the pressure of circumstances? And then we come to two beautiful verses that arise out of those that I’ve read.  

“When men are brought low and you say, ‘Lift them up!’ then He [that is, the Lord] will save the downcast. He will deliver even one who is not innocent, who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”  

That is really a tremendous thought, is it not? When you are in the midst of people who are tired and discouraged and defeated you say, “Lift them up,” and God saves the downcast. That is a beautiful thought. Again it is being part of the solution, not part of the problem.

Discouragement is very infectious. It is very easy to walk into a group of discouraged people and start to feel discouraged like them. But a true Christian does not do that, he walks into this group of discouraged people and he says, “Lift them up.” And God changes the other people.

Then this marvelous statement, “He [the Lord] will deliver even one who is not innocent, who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.” You see, you don’t have just enough for yourself, you have enough for yourself and somebody else. Your presence makes the difference to somebody else’s life in a very positive way.

I have to say that I proved this. As a new Christian, newly saved in the British Army in North Africa in World War II. I was attached, or I was a member, of a small medical unit that was attached to an armored division, and the result is we got into the tail end of battles. We ended up in all sorts of places for which a medical unit really was not designed. I remember one time we were cut off behind the enemy’s lines in the desert, and for quite awhile we did not know whether the enemy was behind us or in front of us. And I remember in that situation a fellow soldier, who was by no means a Christian, came to me. He looked me right in the eyes and said, “Corporal Prince, I am glad you are with us.” What he meant was, “I know that God is going to be looking after you, and because we are with you, we will get some of the benefit of that.” See, that is what God is saying here, He will deliver even one who is not innocent. “He will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”

It is very important you cultivate a positive attitude. You can be amongst a group of negative people, and you can inject something positive that will change those people. Let me say this: for a Christian, negativism and pessimism are sins. We cannot indulge in them and maintain our Christian testimony.

I want to continue for a little while with this thought of communicating a positive attitude. I want to express it in this phrase: Be an encourager, not a discourager. The world is full of discouragers; it does not need any more. It needs encouragers. You know the title of the Holy Spirit, “the Comforter,” which we are familiar with as Christians—that word really means “to encourage.” One thing I have learned by experience is the Holy Spirit never discourages a child of God. If any influence comes in your life that discourages you, be sure it is not the influence of the Holy Spirit. And if you have the Holy Spirit in you, operating through you, you will be like the Holy Spirit. You will be an encourager, not a discourager.

Here is a beautiful verse in Isaiah chapter 50, verse 4. It is a prophetic picture of the Lord Jesus as He was to be when He came to earth. And this is what it says:  

“The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.”

That is a beautiful picture, is it not? The Lord Jesus had perfect, unbroken fellowship with His Father. Every morning the first voice He listened to was the Father’s voice. And He says,

“‘[the Father] wakens me morning by morning [and I] listen like one being taught.’”

The Lord Jesus was the perfect disciple. As well as being the perfect Master, He was the perfect disciple of the Father. And as He listened to the Lord each morning, the Lord gave Him an instructed tongue, “to know the word that sustains the weary.” That is a precious thought, if you can grasp it. You can hear from God each morning by the Holy Spirit and you can receive from God a word that will sustain the weary. And later when you go out into the business world or wherever it may be, you are in your office or your factory and you are surrounded by people who are weary, discouraged, confused, you don’t come under that pressure, you are living above it. You have something from God to minister to those people. In other words, you are an encourager. You are not a discourager.

Wherever you go you communicate a positive attitude. I will tell you that if you’re like that, people will kind of look for you, they will brighten up when you come around. They may not understand it intellectually, but something inside them will respond to that word of encouragement which the Lord will give you for the people that you are amongst.

Well, our time is up for today. Before I close, I am going to make a special request of you. This week and next we are asking our listeners across the nation to express their appreciation of this radio ministry by sending us a special Thanksgiving offering. I am sure you understand that this ministry is kept on the air by the offerings of people just like yourself—people who have been helped and blessed by its message. By sending us your offering at this time you will do three important things:

1. First, you will be expressing your appreciation for help that you yourself have received through this ministry.
2. Second, you will enable us to bring the same kind of help to someone else who needs it as much as you do, but may not be in a position to support us financially.
3. Third, you will encourage and strengthen me personally.

So please take time to say, “Thank you,” at Thanksgiving.