Walking With Godনমুনা

DAY SEVENTEEN

A Right Mental Attitude

There are many aspects involved in living the life of faith and one of them is maintaining a right mental attitude. Do you believe God is an all-knowing God? Hebrews 4:13 tells us that everything we do is open and naked unto the eyes of Him of Whom we have to do. There is nothing hidden from God. It also tells us that He is able to discern the thought and intent of our heart. He wouldn't be God if He didn't know those things. He's an all-knowing God.

The Bible tells us that He even knows your need before you ask. You're not kidding God when you make Him promises you don't intend to fulfill. When I was a young boy growing up, I made Him promises if He would do certain things. And He would always come through and do His part, but I didn't keep my end of the bargain. I thought, "Boy, I really pulled one over on Him." But I didn't. He knew the thought and the intent of my heart.

A lot of people think, "God is just testing me. That's the reason I had this car wreck." God doesn't have to test you, He knows you.

There is a fellow who doesn't know you that well because he's not your god. His name is Satan. Somebody said, "Does he know the thought and intent of my heart?" He does not. The only thing he knows about you is what INFLUENCES you and what you YIELD to and RECEIVE. Somebody said, "Can he read my mind?" No, just the thoughts that he puts in there and you let stay.

Satan does not know you like God knows you. The only way he can find out about you is to test you and see how you'll respond under pressure and in different situations. He's got an experiment going on with you.

The Bible tells us that God has recorded every idle word that comes out of our mouth.

Satan, too, has a little messenger who records all of our words and actions. His messenger then reports back to headquarters, and Satan learns about you through your actions. For instance, let's say that I am being tested by the devil where sickness is concerned. I have these symptoms on my body, and I will either talk the Word or talk the problem. Now, if I say, "Oh, dear God, I'm going to die." Then Satan's messenger reports back, "Every time he gets a symptom, he talks death. That's good— he's snared by the words of his mouth. We can use that, Satan."

Remember, words are vehicles or carriers. They'll bring success or failure. They bring health or death. LIFE AND DEATH ARE IN THE POWER OF THE TONGUE. We must begin to speak positive confessions, and next time Satan's messenger comes back for the attack, we'll blow him away with "Thus saith the Lord, it is written...." And his messenger will run back and say, "Something happened, boss. He changed while I was gone."

The winning is easy. It's the talking yourself into winning that's difficult. Remember, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh. You're not going to be able to talk positive if your heart is full of negative. When you get the Word down in your heart, you can't help but talk positive.

It's your decision to have a right mental attitude. God will begin to build the very nature, attributes, traits, and characteristics of Himself in you when you continue in the Word. Remember that faith is the foundation of a right mental attitude. Study these things and get them on the inside of you:

1. A right mental attitude is more than a wishful thinking device. It is actually facing each day with a positive expectancy.

2. A right mental attitude is having a proper understanding of the problems you face, their source, and knowing how to approach them with God's Word. You need to know your enemy and how he operates. You need to know his weak places. I'll tell you two of them: (1) he cannot stand PRAISE; and (2) he cannot stand the WORD OF GOD! He has no refuge from it. He has to flee from it. He cannot tolerate either.

3. A right mental attitude enables you to possess peace, calmness, self-control, and the determination to win and be successful.

4. A right mental attitude demands that you drive out all negatives from your consciousness.