Key scripture – “But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.” (Matthew 15:18, ESV).

As we all know, life on this earth can naturally lend itself to miserable attitudes. There will always be enough injustice and irritation in the world to keep us in the wilderness if we choose to murmur, complain, criticize, covet, doubt, and rebel.

It is important to understand that one thing in our life that we can always control is our attitude. You choose your attitude. Sometimes it is the only thing you can choose. Depending on your attitude, the very same circumstance in your life can feel like the Promised Land or the wilderness.

In his book Strengthening Your Grip, Pastor Charles Swindoll described the power of attitudes: “I believe the single most important decision I can make on a day-to-day basis is my attitude choice. It’s more important than my past. It’s more important than my education or my bankroll or my success or my failures. My attitude choice is more important than my fame or my pain or what others think or say about me or my position or my circumstances. Attitudes keep me going or cripple my progress. Attitude alone fuels my fire or assaults my hope.”

Our attitudes dwarf our circumstances, and we are the ones who choose our attitudes. God’s Word teaches us some clear truths about their power.

First, the attitude reveals the true person. “But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart,” Jesus said (Matthew 15:18a). Your attitude reveals who you truly are. You can get your external behavior in order but still be a mess inside. God isn’t interested in soldiers that just look the part; He wants His followers to be the part, for real. When God looks at you, He sees through to your heart, because that’s where the true person resides. His goal is not a makeover but real heart transformation—changed attitudes.

Second, the attitude predicts the future. “For as [a person] thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7, NKJV). Attitudes are patterns of thinking formed over a long period of time. You can’t think in critical, negative, fault finding, complaining ways without becoming that person. In spiritual terms, you are what you think! God is fired up about this, because how you think foretells who you become.

Third, the attitude is primarily vertical. Most sin has a horizontal dimension. Stealing and lying, for example, affect personal relationships, though those choices are against God as well. But attitudes are clearly vertical—implicit accusations against and rejections of God and His provision. God considers our attitudes to be directed at Him, which is why He takes them so seriously.

So what are you choosing? Are you following your feelings or deferring to a default attitude based on your circumstances? Negative, critical attitudes make life feel like a wilderness—desolate, dry, barren, hard, and joyless.

In contrast, positive, grateful, God-honoring attitudes make life feel like the Promised Land, flowing with milk and honey.

Time for an attitude check. Reflect on your recent attitudes. Toward what people or circumstances in your life have you had a positive attitude? Negative?

Consider the vertical dimension of those attitudes. How do they implicitly reflect on God, either expressing gratitude and trust or complaint and doubt toward Him and His provision?

Pray this – Our Precious Heavenly Father, forgive me for thinking that while I needed You to save me, somehow I was going to change myself. I want and need You to change me, which includes my attitude. I want “To be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:23-24). Please let Your grace and strength flow into my life. I invite You to fill me with Your Spirit, and give me the strength that I need for every difficult circumstance and person I encounter. I ask that through Your Word Your grace would help me put off all sinful attitudes and put on righteous ones in their place. I know how powerful Your Word is because “the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12). Remove all negative thoughts and attitudes from my heart and replace them with Your Word. In Your Name, Jesus, I pray, Amen.