A pilot friend of mine confirmed that an airplane needs an “attitude”
adjustment when coming in for a landing.
The goal is to have the attitude line up with the runway. A bad attitude will lead to a rocky landing,
and in a worst case scenario, a crash.
As it is with aircraft, so it is with our attitude toward
the church. On Sunday at New Community
we started a new series called “I Will” based on the book by Thom Rainer. He says that before moving into greater
ownership of the church (moving from “I Am” thinking to “I Will action), we
need to check our attitude.
Yesterday I
asked our church to self-evaluate with 4 reflective questions:
- Do you view church as “this church” or “my church”? I don’t know about you, but when I am having trouble with something or someone, I distance myself. If one of my kids is misbehaving I might say to my wife: “Your son is causing a problem.” We all do that. Check the posture of your heart toward your church. Has it become your church or merely this church?
- Have you fallen into a consumerist mindset about the church? Our society is consumeristic and naturally we bring that attitude into the church. But consumerism, at heart, is all about what we can take. The church is all about what we give (worship). What do I bring to God and to others?
- Do you assume the worst about the church and its leaders, or the best? When our attitude is off, we tend to assume the worst. But the Bible says to hope the best (I Cor. 13:7). Have you been assuming the worst about your church or leadership? Constructive criticism is helpful, but assuming the worst leads to hyper-criticism, negativity and even cynicism.
- Do you pray for your church on a consistent basis? People pray for what is important to them. If your child is sick, you will pray for him. If your job is struggling, you will pray about it. If your church is important to you, you will pray for it. Commit to praying for your church each day. You will be amazed how this shapes your attitude about it.
What are ways that you have found to check your attitude?
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