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Choose an Attitude of Capability along with Practicing Coping Behaviors!

Earl Nightingale said, “It’s not what happens to you in life that makes the difference. It is how you react to each circumstance you encounter​ that determines the result." Maintaining a proper perspective creates appropriate

solutions. Feel your emotions but control them so they don’t cloud your judgement, nor send an inappropriate message to onlookers. Attitude (your expressed

demeanor) sets the tone and direction for your forth-coming decisions and this carries social, not just psychological consequences (Jackson, D., Firtko, A., & Edenborough, M. (2007)).

 

Read how Pastor and Author Dutch Sheets (2014) explains resiliency through this example:​

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“Two people can experience the same situation but achieve two different results. Why? Your outlook can shape your reality! Don't deny the reality of your circumstances but deny your circumstances the right to control your choices! On January 13, 1997, Steve Fossett began his hot air balloon ride with the goal of being the first person to circle the globe alone in one year. After 3 days he had crossed the Atlantic and was flying eastward over Africa. The prevailing wind carried him on a direct course for Libya. But Libya had refused permission to fly in its air space, which meant he could be shot down. Balloons cannot turn so when a change of direction is needed, they must change altitude to find a crosswind blowing in a different direction. Fossett changed directions by dropping 6,300 feet, where a southeast wind blew him safely away from Libya. Then he heated the balloon, rose 10,000 feet and caught an easterly wind, which carried him back on course so he could meet his goal. Betrand Piccard, another hot air balloonist, sees similarity between balloon flight and daily life. "In the balloon you are prisoners of the wind and go only in its direction. But you can change altitude, and when you change altitude, you change direction. You are not a prisoner of the wind anymore. Likewise, in life, people think they are prisoners of the winds of adversity that blow against them. But they are not. They can change altitude by changing attitude, and the new attitude will carry them in a new direction” (pp 88-89). ​

If you find yourself not possessing the trait of resiliency, ask yourself if shame, blame, or pride-causing unbelief is holding you back from using your faith (Hebrews 11:1, 6). Psychologist Brene Brown says, “Childhood experiences of shame change who we are, how we think about ourselves and our sense of self worth” (Brown, B., 2012, p 226). If these feelings are not countered and your thinking is not changed as a result, your thoughts will sabotage your goal achievement. As a Christian, hold true to the what the Apostle Paul declares in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” Your new identity in Christ forgets "those things which are behind and reaches forward to those things which are ahead". This attitude motivates your ABC's. 

 

Christians can rejoice because having faith in God brings the power to overcome obstacles that you feel you can't overcome on your own, so you reach worthy Christian goals. Being empowered by your faith means that your intention and prayerful reliance on God brings you the confidence you need to be resilient, which is correlated back to joy (Nehemiah 8:10, Psalm 37:3-6, Psalm 28:7-8, 18:1-3, 46:1-3). Christianity works actively and intentionally (Luke 6:46, James 2:14-17). The Biblical book of Philippians describes an attitude of praise to God that serves as energy for your ACTIVE Christianity, D, that leads to excellence (E  ), today and tomorrow; 2 Peter 1:3-4, James 2:26, Philippians 4:6-8, Colossians 2:7, Matthew 6:10). 

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What was reborn in your Spirit needs to break into your thought life so you can direct your body to learn to practice habits that are consistent with your new identity. It's your confident faith in your new identity as a child of God that drives you to endure through the corresponding behavioral change process of learning new habits (1 Peter 1:7, 1 Corinthians 13:7, 13:13, Revelation 3:18). When you are committed to staying “in step with the Spirit”, even when you grow weary and start to doubt whether your transformation is possible, God proves himself faithful (Psalm 119:90, 2 Timothy 2:13, Galatians 5:25, 6:9). Resiliency is seen in you when, after experiencing setbacks, you continue to you walk towards goal completion with courage, adaptability and confidence because of your faith (Proverbs 24:16, Isaiah 26:7, 2 Corinthians 5:7, Titus 2:2).

 

A knowledgeable Christian faith is what builds these traits into a tenacious yet realistic attitude that inspires perseverance and produces excellence in you (1 Peter 1:7, 1 Corinthians 13:7, 13:13, Revelation 3:18). The hope and resiliency that is generated by knowing who you are in Christ enables you to curb anxiety by applying what you know in public (John 16:33, 2 Corinthians 5:17). God will not and cannot disown His own children (Romans 8:16, 2 Timothy 2:12)! You are adopted into God’s family, where your sin and shame are remembered by God “no more” (Hebrews 8:12, 10:17). Therefore, Christians do not need to be limited by bad memories or feelings of guilt or shame. In Christ, “we are not our sins, … we are who God says we are” (Groeshel, C., 2018). Decide today to act out in public what is true in your spirit because of the hope and confidence you have in Christ to overcome worldly challenges and your own unrealistic expectations (Joshua 1:8, 1 John 5:4, Romans 8:7, 28, 12:1-3, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, Ephesians 3:14-20). Laura Upenieks, says this about the influence your psychology can exhibit over your sociology (Upenieks, 2022, p 1825):

"The belief that God answers prayers may be one component of what scholars have termed attachment to God." She goes on to use other researchers to explain the concept. Granqvist and Kirkpatrick (2016) theorize that individuals with higher secure attachment to God believe that God is emotionally responsive to them and this provides a secure base from which to view the world, resulting in feelings of emotional safety and assurance. When God is their specific prayer target , they report better mental health outcomes (Bradshaw & Kent, 2018; Ellison et al., 2014).

The book of Hebrews describes the Christian faith as the "anchor for your soul" and the Apostle Peter suggests that you should view it as "more precious than gold" (Hebrews 6:18-20, 1 Peter 1:7).

 

By remembering who you are in Christ, by relying on the Holy Spirit in you, and by practicing the counsel found in the Bible, you gain the coping skills to be able to "Manage Yourself in a Social World". When you pray to and then walk in integrity to God to overcome your obstacles, you show others the value you place on your relationship with Him and inspire them to do the same (Matthew 25:14-28, Ephesians 4:1-2, 4:15-16, Colossians 1:10-11). ​The power to be resilient comes from your Christian faith expressed in right behavior because you "Stay Full of God", not yourself (1 Corinthians 1:17).​

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