Attitudes, not circumstances make the difference for those who overcome even the toughest situations. God made us to be winners. And we will be as long
as we choose to nurture an attitude that releases the power of God instead of one that keeps us confined to fear and failure.
Possibly the most powerful statement of victory in any volume written throughout history is Paul’s declaration in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things
through Christ who strengthens me” (NKJV).
These were not the idealistic thoughts of a philosopher. They were words carved from the life experiences of a man who had lived by the power of God and
had seen God deliver him from the most dangerous situations.
Paul knew what the power of the Holy Spirit within him would do. God’s faithfulness to deliver him time and time again had shaped Paul’s perspective on
life. Beyond any possibility of doubt, Paul had discovered where his strength came from—the presence of God.
Those who are winners in life understand the power of perspective. They have realized that the way we look at something can have a huge impact on whether
we succeed or fail. Paul had learned to look at every obstacle from the perspective of the strength and power that was within him—the anointing
of Jesus.
Like Paul, we too can develop a winning attitude. We have God’s manual for success, the Bible. In His Word, God has given us the laws of the Spirit of
life that will direct us and help us develop the point of view and attitude which can make us into winners. Our decision is whether or not we will
develop a winning attitude.
A familiar saying instructs us: “Your attitude will affect your altitude.” Our attitudes set the pace for our success.
Golf’s great Arnold Palmer is reportedly reminded of this by the words on a plaque hanging in his office:
If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you don’t.
If you’d like to win but think you can’t, it’s almost certain you won’t.
Life’s battles don’t always go to the stronger or the faster man.
But sooner or later, the man who wins is the man who thinks he can.
What do we think about the situations we face today? Are we thinking victory or defeat? God’s Word says we can overcome any situation. But we have a part
to play in seeing that promise come to pass. Our part is to adjust our thinking to agree with the Word of God.
Our willingness to line our thinking up with what God has said will set the course of success or failure. That’s because what happens in us is much more
important to our success than what happens to us. A happy person is not a person with a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person
with a certain set off attitudes.
The choice is ours. We can nurture an attitude of victory or defeat. We can have an attitude that releases the power of God or an attitude that keeps us
confined to fear and failure.
