Lutzer Erwin W. - Lord, change my attitude before its too late

Table of Contents

LORD, CHANGE

MY ATTITUDE

BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE

LORD, CHANGE

MY ATTITUDE

BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE

James MacDonald
Foreword by Erwin Lutzer

MOODY PUBLISHERS
CHICAGO

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New American Standard Bible , Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www. lockman.org)

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton Illinois 60189, U.S.A. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Study guide produced with the assistance of Neil Wilson and The Livingstone Corporation (www.LivingstoneCorp.com).

Published in association with the literary agency of Wolgemuth & Associates, Inc.

Cover Design: Tobias Outerwear for Books Cover Photos: Brand X, Digital Vision Interior Design: Ragont Design

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

MacDonald, James, 1960-Lord, change my attitudebefore it's too late / by James MacDonald.

p. cm. Originally published: Chicago : Moody Press, c2001. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN-13: 978-0-8024-3439-5 ISBN-10: 0-8024-3439-8

1. Attitude changeReligious aspectsChristianity. 2. Christian life.

I. Title.

BV4597.2.M33 2008 248.4dc22 2007052964

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To Dave Corning,
Rick Donald,
and Kathy Elliott,

Three partners in ministry who have faithfully chosen
Christ honoring attitudes
and whose joy and contentment
consistently overflow to those who know them

FOREWORD

If it is true, as the saying goes, that attitude determines altitude, this book will help you mount up with the wings of eagles! In his own direct style, James MacDonald has pinpointed those negative attitudes that keep us in the wilderness of our spiritual experience and has given us positive help in developing God honoring attitudes that will bring us in to Promised Land Living.

This book is not for everyone. Not all people who read books are really interested in changing their attitudes. Some are more interested in learning new insights rather than actually letting God change their lives. This book is intended to bring about positive, radical change. Those who are serious will benefit; those who read it with other people in mind, or simply as a primer on human nature, will finish it with the same attitudes with which they began.

Let me suggest that you read the entire text of Israels adventure in the wilderness in your own Bible. Make the changing of your attitude your number one personal priority. Your family will be delighted, your friends will approve, and most of all, God will be pleased. That, after all, is the goal of personal transformation.

I recommend this book because I believe that the transformation of our attitudes is the key to seeing the world through the eyes of faith; it is the key to the inner work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The author gives practical illustrations and assignments that will help us view events and people the way God intended us to see them. Since how we live this life determines our rewards in the next, we must begin today to learn from the mistakes of those who have preceded us, and get on with becoming the people God wants us to be.

So fasten your seat belt, as you take this tour of the wilderness, because just up ahead is the Promised Land. And, with the right attitude, you will enter in.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

A powerful life lesson for me recently has been the power of simplicity. Simple pleasures, simple schedules, and simple expressions of thanks. Writing a book, however, is far from simple. Many people are at work to make it a reality. Thanks to the people of Harvest Bible Chapel who support my preaching ministry from which each of these chapters originated. Thanks to Rosa Sabatino who took each message from tape to transcript with punctuality and accuracy. Thanks to Neil Wilson, who edited each transcript from its verbal style to a written format with creativity and insight. Thanks to Jim Vincent at Moody Publishers, who made the final edits when I was done writing and greatly improved the end result. Thanks to Kathy Elliott, who brokered that process with her usual patience and commitment.

Thanks also to Greg Thornton and all the folks at Moody Publishers who did their part to get this into book form and into the hands of readers like you.

Special thanks to my wife, Kathy, and our three children, Luke, Landon, and Abby, who once again endured with great patience a husband/father who was dealing with deadlines and working on his own attitudes.

Most of all, thanks are due to our faithful God, who has seen us through another important season of life and ministry with His abiding love and sufficient grace.

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AN INVITATION

So youve picked up a book on attitudes and now youre trying to decide if you should read it. Let me help by asking a question: How did you get the book?

-- Did you pick it up yourself browsing through a bookstore display? Are you considering whether an attitude upgrade might be the very best thing for your life right now?

-- Did you receive this book as a gift from someone? Are they trying to tell you that your attitude needs some work? Or perhaps theirs needed some work, they read this book, and now they want you to share in the life change they have found so exhilarating.

-- Maybe you received the book from a pastor or small group leader who knows you very well and believes this book will lead you into the kind of life transformation you have been searching for.

-- Possibly you read my first book on change and are ready to take the next exciting step in life transformation.

However you came to hold this book, Im glad you did. I have been praying that this would not be just another book for you but a marvelous, joy-producing experience between yourself and God.

FIVE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

Before we get to the introduction (its really important that you read the introduction), I want to ask you five important questions based on the title of this book to help you decide if this is a book for you. Then I will conclude this invitation to read Lord, Change My Attitude by detailing six key features of each chapter. Each of these features is designed to help you pace yourself as you move through the life-changing content that is headed your way.

First the questions. Question one is:

Are you open to considering what the Lord has to say about changing your attitude?

This is not some futile self-help book, and its not filled with the opinions of pseudo experts. This book is a study of what God has to say in the Scriptures about our bad attitudes. It details the consequences of rejecting Gods ways and the benefits of accepting Gods ways. Many people do not even believe in God, let alone have an interest in what He has to say about their happiness. To profit from this book, you have to be willing to reflect upon what the Bible says about attitudes and how God wants to change you.