"The Attitude Adjuster"
- Rita Larson
- Apr 25, 2023
- 2 min read
When my boys were small, I would take them to the outer banks on vacation frequently. We would rent this cute little house, and it had a sign over the door that said “The Attitude Adjuster”. We all need to tweak our attitude sometimes. There is so much negativity in the world around us. With all of the negativity, it is all too easy to get sucked into negative thinking patterns. At times, we give ourselves permission to dwell on the negative and convince ourselves that it is impossible to be positive all the time. We can become so accustomed to our negative thinking that we forget that it is possible to control our thoughts, regardless of our outside circumstances.
The Bible speaks to this in 2 Corinthians 10:5, which says, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (KJV). This verse reminds us that it is possible to control our thoughts and to bring every idea into captivity in obedience to Christ. We forget that we have the Holy Spirit, our Attitude Adjuster, living on the inside of us, willing to help us take captive the negative thoughts that enter our minds.
Negative thinking can have a detrimental effect on our relationships with others, as our attitude is contagious. Zig Ziglar said it best when he said, “A bad attitude is like a flat tire; you can't go anywhere until you change it.” Our poor attitude can rub off on others and negatively affect those around us. We can choose to proactively fight against the negative thoughts that we have and decide to think positively instead. Philippians 4:8, “whatever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report; think on these things,” instructs us on using our energies to focus on the positive things surrounding us.
We can make the choice to surround ourselves with other believers, those with a positive attitude that speak life! Just as negativity is contagious, a positive attitude can spread like wildfire. Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” Words have power! Choose to spend time with people who will speak life into your situation.
Most importantly, we can also choose to spend time with God in prayer and praise and worship. Psalm 22:3 says, “But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.” God inhabits the praises of His people. When we spend time praising and worshipping God, there is no room for the enemy to inhabit our minds! Where there is light, darkness cannot prevail.
We need to challenge ourselves to get rid of our “skinkin’ thinkin’” and to replace our negative thoughts with positive ones. Telling ourselves daily to “think happy, be happy” or “choose joy” are simple but powerful reminders that can help us stay focused on the positive and cast down the negative thoughts that the devil throws our way. Let the Holy Spirit dwelling on the inside be your Attitude Adjuster! When we put God first and have a positive attitude, anything is possible! ©Rita Larson 4/25/2023
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