The year would have been 606 B.C. Babylon had just invaded from the north, sieged the city of Jerusalem, had captured the most capable of all the young men of Israel, and had marched them back to Babylon. With that single action these young men had been robbed of their youth, their independence, their hope of marrying and having a family, and generally their ability to have a normal life. How do you think the loss of all that freedom in a single day would impact their young lives?
Under much less strenuous circumstances people have turned to anger, spite, rebellion, and crime. However, through the book of Daniel we read about four of those young men (Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah) and their ability to rise above it all and use their circumstances to more capably serve their God.
What was the difference between those young men and countless others who have used their circumstances to justify their anger, spite, rebellion, and crime? Attitude! The same attitude that fueled Paul’s ability to say that “I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Philippians 4:11) first characterized these four young men in their quest to maintain righteousness before God. It was their attitude that prepared them to deal with every situation they faced with grace with no personal ambition – only their desire to represent God in the greatest way they possibly could.
In the same way we must pay very close attention to our attitudes in view of how we approach the circumstances we face in life. It is not a matter of whether or not we have an attitude, it is about what type of attitude we have. The overwhelming attitude that characterized the four young men of the book of Daniel was one of service and humility. It’s that type of example that should guide us to develop the proper type of attitude ourselves. A godly attitude that leads us through life and helps us to know what is truly important. But we must know what a godly attitude is and I have three suggestions:
A godly attitude leads me to know that life is not all about me, but it is all about God. I think one of the greatest examples of this attitude was displayed by Paul in 2 Corinthians 11. In verses 23-28 Paul talked extensively about his sufferings for Christ. He suffered more in the few years he was a Christian than we typically do in all of our collective Christian lives. Yet the attitude that he brought to it all was “Bring It On!” (vs. 29-30). Somewhere along the way much of the religious world came to believe that Christianity was supposed to be about convenience (about us) – but Christianity is supposed to be about conviction (about God).
A godly attitude leads me to know that life is not all about what I can get, but it is all about what I can give. It was Paul again who displayed a marvelous attitude about self-sacrifice not just in what he suffered, but in what he was willing to give. When Paul met with the Ephesian elders for the last time he concluded by reminding them “I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel. Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. I have shewed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:33-35). Paul isn’t just talking about giving money. Paul emphasized the importance of giving his time, effort, and energy. It wasn’t just about giving of himself, he gave himself. In that sense he reflected the example of Jesus who took no effort in this life to accumulate any degree of personal property, not even having a regular place to lay His head. It wasn’t about getting it was about giving. That’s the type of attitude we must have.
A godly attitude leads me to know that life is not all about here and now, but it is all about there and then. One of the great problems we face as a people is our vision. Too many people’s vision doesn’t extend beyond this life and so all they are concerned with this life. They are concerned with what they can get, where they can go, what they can experience. None of that is inherently wrong, but we need to extend our vision beyond the borders of this life, we need to have eternal vision. That’s what Jesus warned us to do (Matthew 6:19-21). So what does our treasure say about our hearts? If all we care about is here and now it says that our hearts are wrapped up in worldly things – things that will pass away. But if our vision is cast toward eternity then it means our hearts are centered solely on God. We must never become so concerned with this life that we pay little attention, or completely forget the next.
What does our attitudes say about our Christianity? It is largely those attitudes that determine our future as Christians and as the church. It is those attitudes that determine our eternal future before God.
-Andy Brewer
wonderful…thank you