A Winning Attitude

By Dr Jack Ender

Knowing that a “right attitude” is of great value, there is an equal

knowledge that you must be active in keeping a “right attitude”. This
requires “vigilance”, you must keep alert to any movement you make
toward a “poor attitude”. The writer of the book of Philippians, uses a
great illustration to show us how to keep a “winning attitude”. Saint Paul,
who wrote Philippians, uses the illustration of a competitive race to teach
us how to develop, maintain, and keep a winning attitude.

If Paul writes about a “winning attitude”, what then is a “losing attitude”? Philippians, the second chapter,
identifies discord, disagreement, and hate as being a losing attitude. He also points out disunity in thought,
saying that we should think as Christ thought. Jealousy, pride, and self-advancement are listed among the losing
attitudes. And then only caring about what matters most to you is also pointed out as a losing attitude.

Paul reminds us be active against these loosing attitudes by showing love to one another, getting on the “same
page” with our thinking, humbling ourselves, considering others better than our self, caring about others as much
as we care about our self.

Running toward the Goal

Let's listen to what Paul says in Philippians, chapter 3, to find out how we can keep a “winning attitude”.

Philippians, chapter 3, verse 12, I have not yet reached my goal, and I am not perfect. But Christ has
taken hold of me. So I keep on running and struggling to take hold of the prize.13 My friends, I don’t feel
that I have already arrived. But I forget what is behind, and I struggle for what is ahead.14 I run toward the
goal, so that I can win the prize of finding the High Calling of God.(in KingJamesVersion) This is the prize
that God offers because of what Christ Jesus has done.15 All of us who are mature should think in this
same way. And if any of you think differently, God will make it clear to you.16 But we must keep going in the
direction that we are now headed.
17 My friends, I want you to follow my example and learn from others who closely follow the example we
set for you.18 I often warned you that many people are living as enemies of the cross of Christ. And now
with tears in my eyes, I warn you again19 that they are headed for hell! They worship their stomachs and
brag about the disgusting things they do. All they can think about are the things of this world.
20 But we are citizens of heaven and are eagerly waiting for our Savior to come from there. Our Lord Jesus
Christ 21 has power over everything, and he will make these poor bodies of ours like his own glorious body.
Here are some of Paul's key ideas:
First, “I have not reached my goal, and I am not perfect”. There is no question that a person who thinks
they are right, have arrived, and need not change, WILL NOT CHANGE. The only possibility
remaining is that every one must pander to your “losing attitudes”. When you recognize that it is you
who needs change, then you will embrace criticism. And when you admit that you are not PERFECT,
then you will be determined to erase the imperfections that imprison you by your losing attitudes. Paul
says again: “I don't feel that I have already arrived.” He is saying, “I know I need change.”
Second, “But Christ has taken hold of me”. Something very fundamental has to take place to find and
keep a “winning attitude”. You can make civil laws that are designed to protect people, for instance the
reduction of speed in a school zone; but some people will still race through a school zone and endanger
the lives of children. If laws.... or rules....do not change behavior, then what does change behavior? It is
some unseen thing.... some undefinable thing... it is moral virtue or righteous ethic that brings one to
slow down, when they see children at play because it is the RIGHT THING TO DO. When “Christ
takes hold of you”, you become compelled to follow a right attitude (what the Bible calls,
RIGHTEOUSNESS/righwiseness) and to act-out virtuous character (what the Bible calls,
HOLINESS/wholeness). The nature of Christ must be birthed in you. (read John 3:1-7, the story of
Nicodemus) You get these things by simply asking. You acknowledge that you are not perfect, you
admit that you want change, you ask Christ to direct your life, and then pledge yourself to be obedient
to what he thinks. (What he thinks, being found in the Bible.) This is what Christians call
SALVATION. I promise, Christ will take hold of you and transform your life.
Third, “I keep running and struggling to take hold of the prize”. Determination and focus are important
in running a race to win. That same determination and focus is needed to have a winning attitude. You
will have to struggle to reject bad attitudes and embrace good attitudes. Ask yourself, “How can I be
more determined and focused on extinguishing my bad attitudes and embracing good attitudes? Make
a list of your own personal “bad attitudes”, then make a plan for extinguishing them when they
suddenly appear.
Fourth, “I forget what is behind, and struggle for what is ahead”. One of the keys to “winning
attitudes” is forgiving yourself for the times you had “losing attitudes”. Life is filled with mistakes and
human errors. Though we need to remember our mistakes, we need to move on from failure to
freedom, from being a victim to being a victor. In part, we need to forgive ourselves and then forgive
others, then press-on to be winners. You can't change the past! You can't saw the sawdust! Let it go! Let
the past be the past! Make a decision to have “winning attitudes” today, and you will rewrite your past,
because the good you did today, will be tomorrow's history. Make a list of all those things that haunt
you... all of those things you remember that shame you. Then acknowledge that you can't change even
one of them. Find a safe place where you can burn that list, then acknowledge “I give my history to you
Lord, Jesus and I set my heart to create a new and better history by obeying you. see Psalm 37:23-24
If you do what the Lord wants, he will make certain each step you take is sure. 24 The Lord will hold
your hand, and if you stumble, you still won’t fall.
Fifth, “I run toward the goal, so that I can win the prize...” The
goal, is our focus. We are not looking at fellow runners, the flowers,
the spectators, or even ourselves, our focus is on the goal so we can
be winners. The prize, so says Paul, is finding the High Calling of
God. If you are MATURE, you should think in this same way, but
even if you don't understand the High Calling of God, God will
make it clear to you. Call it conscience, virtue, morays, values, all
of these things begin to form when you rearrange your priorities
and give the principles of Christ an important place in your life. So
Paul says, “Keep going in the same direction”. What do you think
could distract you from running the race. Yes, get some paper and
write down that thing or things. On that same page, make list of
things in your life and list them with the most important priorities at
the top of the list. Where does the study of the Bible or the pursuit
of knowing the thoughts of Christ lie in your list of priorities?

Sixth, “Follow my example (imitate me) and learn from others who closely follow our example.”
Whether we are adults or children, we learn from those around us. If we are around people who are
respectful and courteous, we are more likely to be respectful and courteous ourselves. If we are around
people who are thoughtless and vulgar, we will likely imitate their behavior. So it is beneficial to
surround ourselves with people who have winning attitudes. Think for a moment, what kind of people
am I surrounding myself with?
Seventh, “I warn you that many people are living as enemies of the cross of Christ.” The cross is a
symbol of change... of transformation. Jesus said, “I have come that you might have life, and life super
abundant.” When we choose our own way, our own truth, our own life, we are rejecting the way of
Christ, his truth, and his life and become enemies of the cross. Through Jesus, we can have abundant
life, but only as we remember that he is “the way, the truth, and the life”. In the Bible, there is a book
call John, and in the 14th chapter, Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the
Father, except by me.” It is the surrender of our will and the embracing of his will, that empowers a
“winning attitude”.
I want you to imagine that you greatest desire is to be a concert pianist. So you find a piano teacher,
who has achieved celebrity status, and ask her to teach you how to become a concert pianist. At the first
lesson, she instructs you, how you are to place your hands on the keyboard. Your response to her is.... I
don't do it that way! She then attempts to explain musical notation on the sheet music she has placed in
front of you on the piano and you tell her.... I'm not gonna use sheet music! Yes, you are keeping in
control, but you will never advance as a pianist until you give up your way of doing things. You will
must be extinguished before you can even begin to learn the most basic piano skills.
It is also true, that before you can really live life, you must give up your control and surrender to
Christ's control of your life. I want you to ask yourself, what is it that I am trying to control in my life.
Go ahead, if you are like me, you have a list of things that are yours and you don't want anyone telling
you what to do. Take that list and set it on a table in front of you, telling the Lord that all these things I
surrender to you. Then, invite the Lord to take control of your life.
Dogged Determination
A winning attitude comes by understanding that in a race, you don't give up. There is only one goal,
and that is to win. Pain, exhaustion, disappointment, intimidation by competitors and spectators, are all
in play, but the one and only thing that truly matters is completing the race.
Holding on to the principles of Christ and being part of a Christian Community, where you can learn
from the example of sincerely devoted Saints, will lead you to the “Winning Attitude” that brings
success for life.