Definition of Attitude: a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways.
A few quotes from Charles Swindoll:
• We have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.
• Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill.
• Attitude keeps me going or cripples my progress. It alone fuels my fire or assaults my hope. When my attitudes are right, there is no barrier too high, no valley too deep, no dream too extreme, no challenge too great for me.”
(You can put your child's or grandchild's name in blank and make it personal.)
Father, I pray that ___________ will have an "attitude of gratitude".
I pray that ___________ will learn to give thanks in all things (1 Thessalonians 5:18 ...in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.)
May ______________ learn to do all things without grumbling and complaining (Philippians 2:14....Do all things without grumbling or disputing.)
I pray that ______________ will think on (learn to keep his/her mind dwelling on) whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good report, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things (Philippians 4:8).
May _____________ learn to bring every thought and make it obey Christ (2 Corinthians 10:4.....bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ).
(Reminder.....Philippians 4:9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things. As parents/grandparents, we need to teach and train through our own words and attitudes.)
Suggested exercise with children/grandchildren this week:
1) Ask your child every night this week to name at least 3 things for which they are grateful.
2) Participate with them by creating an "attitude" book by making it very special by decorating with arts and crafts. Draw or cut out pictures which illustrate those things.
3) Tell them that you will reward them with (you name it....possibly $ for each day that he/she doesn't grumble or complain). For the older ones, the art project probably won't work, but ask the Lord to give you creativity in how to apply to these truths.
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As I see people each week in counseling, attitude is a common thread with people who are struggling. Many times they don't understand that they get to choose their attitudes about people, places, and situations. I pray that our children/grandchildren will learn to have the attitude of Christ in all things whether it's with their teachers, school, homework, friends, classes, ballgames, brothers, sisters, etc. Their attitudes come from their thoughts, "Just what am I thinking about this?" When they make the statement, "I don't like....." most often it's coming from wrong or negative thinking. We can help them change his/her thoughts and think God's thoughts. For instance, change thoughts from "I have to do this" to "I get to do this". Do your children hear you say, "I have to cook dinner", or "I get to cook dinner"?
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