Text: Ephesians 4:17-5:2
Theme: “Attitude is (not) everything”
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Intro – The family packed up the car, filled with excitement for camp week, as Mom and Dad were happy for the adventure that their pre-teen son was about to experience. Dad set the map and followed the instructions perfectly. Then with a positive attitude and careful driving, they made their way to what they believed was the perfect destination.
As they arrived, however, something felt off. The scenery didn’t match the descriptions they had seen online. Staff members nearby noticed the family’s hesitation and warmly approached them. “We’re so glad to have you here!” one staffer said.
“Yes, it’s good to be here,” the father replied, “but something doesn’t seem quite right. This place doesn’t look like the camp we registered our son for.” The staff member just mumbled “Hum.. that’s intriguing”. The father then said, “I don’t know what’s wrong, I followed all the right directions to Lutherhaven”. “Ah, I see. You registered for Lutherhaven, right? ”Yes, that’s right,” the dad confirmed.
“Well, this is Camp Luther. Lutherhaven is also a camp. But it is located in Idaho!…”
All the excitement, positive attitude, careful planning, and motivation—they only served to lead the family securely and quickly to the wrong place. Well, now that they were there, someone could say, “well this is a camp like all others, the son could follow all the right rules and attitudes and just join in”. However, is not just about the right attitude, but the son needs to be registered to be a part of the camp. He needs to be a camper before acting like one. Because of what he was, or rather, what he was not – a registered camper -, no amount of positive attitude and motivation could change reality.
After a little while, the son asked, “Dad, where’s Mom?” Dad sighed, “She just needs a few minutes to catch some breath…but she’ll be fine.”
This fictional story serves as a reminder: No matter how positive your attitude, no matter how much effort you put into something, if you’re following the wrong directions, you’ll end up at the wrong destination. Thinking about our spiritual life, it is even more than that: it is not just about what you do, but who you are.
They say, “Attitude is everything,” but is it really, considering our life of faith?
- Is attitude everything?
Attitude is everything seems to be a widely accepted motto in many areas of life. For example: Sports, Leadership, Business and personal development.
First of all, it is important to know that having a positive attitude is something valid in certain aspects of life. For example, even when you don’t feel like being motivated by certain things, keeping a good attitude may help people around you not to give up and keep going. Or even you, yourself may be able to plow through a difficult day, week or season by insisting on good attitudes even when you don’t feel like so.
However, there are times in life where we might be trying to treat pneumonia with aspirin; or we are trying to build a beautiful house by raising the outer walls only. When more that attitude is needed in life, this “Attitude is everything” approach causes people to suffer. People can be pressured to “keep a smile on our face” and maintain a good attitude that can make them appear determined to the outside world. Yet, inside, they still may feel a void, anxiety, an indescribable “something” that is missing.
Looking at the epistle today, we see that the type of attitude that Paul suggests is quite different. It is based on a different center and identity
- Our Motivation: Children Sealed with Love
Today’s epistle shows us, Christians, where our true motivation for living is, a motivation that is the foundation for our life and provides the right map to walk in the ways of the Lord. It is the centre where our attitude, motivation and positivity flow from. Paul reminds us of three important things. You are:
- A Child of God
- Sealed with the Spirit
- Loved by Jesus
As a Child of God redeemed by Jesus, your core, essential identity is defined in Him. Not by your gender, your colour, your profession, your citizenship. Not even by your family or friends. Before Jesus your core identity and foundation are who you are in Him. Before doing there is believing. That is the center of your life. Your attitude, motivation and consistency flow from your connection to Him.
Consider this quote: “A pleasant personality with good attitudes wins many friends. But only character can keep them.” Having an attitude yields some true results. But being a person with principles—character—brings the real identity results and true attitudes. When our perspective in life and our actions don’t stem from God’s principles, it’s like driving in Kelowna using a map of Surrey.
I look around and see offers of motivation and positive attitude in different forms, books, and places. While there might be some help in them, in many cases what I see can be illustrated this way: someone needs to get from here to downtown Vancouver, but his/her car won’t start. Then this is what they do: they set their car in Neutral and try to find someone to help pushing the car until it gets some speed. He/she covers some yards, and the car stops again. After covering a few yards, the car stops again, and they need another person to push it a little farther. This cycle continues. When the car is moving, they take all the right actions behind the wheel and try to maintain a positive mindset (“I’ll get to Vancouver, and I won’t be angry or exhausted”). And as we know, it’s not too bad going downhill, but when an uphill slope comes, attitude and positive thinking won’t be enough.
What if they called a mechanic to solve the problem? Or even simpler, perhaps they need petrol to get going? If the essential thing is fixed and solved, then they will have all the motivation to get where they want to be and their attitude behind the wheel would make much more difference.
Jesus fixed what’s essential: He won forgiveness of sins and applied it to our hearts. Now we have our identity firmly attached to him, and from there, we are empowered by His Holy Spirit to live a life full of attitudes. Yes, attitude is not everything, but they are beautiful expressions of the depth of love we’ve received through Christ’s redemption.[1]
A couple of extra points to keep in mind:
- No attitude can save us. Everything is by grace. Attitudes are consequences.
- If we accept that “attitude is everything” also in the field of faith, we might join the chorus of unionism, which says that all religions have the same God and focus on preaching charity, tolerance, love, and respect—good attitudes. You know, “Well this is a camp like all others, the son could follow all the right rules and attitudes and just join in”. From the Word of God, we know that it is not just a matter of attitude, but of who we are, and especially who Jesus is. We know that there is only One God, and without faith it is impossible to please God (Hb 11), therefore, true good attitudes come from connection to God – faith in Jesus. Our good attitudes come from our centre —Jesus, the only way, truth, and life.
- Our core identity is in Christ, and this is the centre of who we are. We are saved by faith alone. But faith is never alone. While attitude is not everything, it is something very important in our daily life. Our faith is shown in attitudes, in works, that glorify God and point people to Christ. Never let inertia lur spiritual laziness lay their grip on your faith. In a world where consequences of sin wreak havoc in so many ways and in so many people’s lives, Christian attitudes that flow from our Faith are good, right, salutary and necessary.
Cc – After a few minutes, Mom had calmed down and returned to the car. The staff member was very accommodating, as there were still a couple of spots in the camp for that weekend. The family was able to register their son for that same week. Now, because of who he was – a registered camper – he was able to enjoy a full week of camp fun. Now, his positive attitude, excitement, and motivation would truly make all the difference for a memorable week!
While our attitudes and efforts are important, what truly defines us is who we are in Christ. As beloved children of God, sealed with the Holy Spirit, our lives are grounded in the firm foundation of God’s Word. This is our true map, guiding us through the challenges and decisions of life, leading us on the Way to eternal life. As you go out into the world, carry with you this unshakable truth: You are a child of God, and nothing can change that. This identity empowers you to have a life where attitude is connected to your identity in Christ, being a testimony to the right path Jesus, the right map, The Word, and the right destination, Life eternal. That makes all the difference as you camp in this life. Until the day comes when you break camp and head toward your permanent, eternal home.
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[1] The Lutheran Confessions emphasize the importance of faith producing good works. In the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, it states, “Faith is a divine service that produces good works in us; it is the work of the Holy Spirit in us.” This aligns with Paul’s teaching that our attitudes and actions must stem from a foundation of faith.
Martin Luther, in his commentary on Ephesians, underscores that our good works are a result of our faith and God’s grace working through us. He writes, “Good works do not make a good man, but a good man does good works” (Luther’s Works, Vol. 44). Luther emphasizes that it is our faith and identity in Christ that define our actions.
R.C.H. Lenski, in his commentary on Ephesians, notes that Paul’s exhortation to the Ephesians to “be imitators of God” is rooted in their identity as beloved children of God. Lenski writes, “Paul never tires of emphasizing the necessity of being grounded in Christ before one can live as Christ lived” (Interpretation of St. Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians, p. 618).
This shows that we are not talking about inertia, or a lack of attitude. As if faith were something passive somewhere deep in our hearts without any action. Faith without actions is dead. Good attitudes flow in life when we are connected to Christ. Paul encourages us to act and act a lot. But on the right path. With the right foundation, the construction (attitude) is always more solid and beautiful.
References:
Luther, Martin. Luther’s Works. Vol. 44. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1966.
Lenski, R.C.H. Interpretation of St. Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1937.
Apology of the Augsburg Confession. In The Book of Concord: The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Edited by Robert Kolb and Timothy J. Wengert. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2000.
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