September 5

Where do negative attitudes originate and how can they be overcome? Negative attitudes. We would probably conclude without much contemplation that negative attitudes begin in the mind. The Word makes it clear that the way we think determines much about what we say and what we do (Proverbs 23:7).

Looking at that verse more closely, however, requires our coming to a different conclusion about the origin of our attitudes. It says specifically, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” We don’t attribute our thoughts to our hearts. We attribute them to our minds. So, exactly what is the Word telling us here?

Where do those negative mindsets—greed, lust, hatred, revenge, scorn, and all their ‘cousins’—come from? Proverbs 28:25 gives us a clue regarding the root from which ungodly thoughts spring. It says, “He who is of a greedy spirit stirs up strife, but he who puts his trust in the Lord shall be enriched and blessed.” It is within the spirit of an individual that evil schemes or benevolent actions are conceived.

The Word tells us that our bodies are to be the temples of the Holy Spirit. If we have Christ in our hearts, His Holy Spirit resides within us; our spirits are subject to Him. Apart from His presence, they are subject only to self. Our spirits, then, conceive the attitudes that our minds develop and our actions execute—whether for good or for ill—depending on whether His Spirit or ours sows them.