Attitude is Everything

I normally have a pretty positive attitude. On occasion a circumstance can become a little too overwhelming and my attitude can become very negative. This usually happens when I am  surrounded by others who carry a negative outlook on a situation. I can start off the optimistic, but after while I begin to take on their attitude almost unknowingly.  The negative shift usually happens as I begin to focus and see things as the naysayers do. I'm sure you don't have a tendency to do this so feel free to pass this information on to someone who does. Attitude is contagious. You can catch it or you can spread it.

The Book of Numbers talks about young man who maintains his positive attitude in the face serious oppositions.... and God noticed.

"But my servant Caleb has a different attitude than the others. He will enter the land and his descendants will possess their full share of the land." Numbers 14:24-25

The back story on this verse is that the people of Israel had been delivered from Egypt and were on the brink of entering into the land God had promised them. He had promised to go before them and drive out the ones that were already there.

Before entering the land Caleb and 11 others spies went into the land to scope it out. Caleb and one other, Joshua, came back with a positive outlook on the land, ready to take what was theirs. The ten others were terrified of the people living there and saw the venture as impossible.

In the midst of the grumbling and bumbling of the ten, Caleb reminded the people of God's promise to take the land. But all they saw was the problem of the "giants" living in the land. In an effort to shut Caleb and Joshua up, the Israelite decided the best thing to do was to kill them....stone them to death actually. But Caleb maintained his attitude.... and God intervened.

Has anyone ever tried to kill your attitude or bring you down.  Have there been times when you have seen the promise, but those around you are focusing on the problem and you find yourself slowly taking on their prospective.

Be encouraged by the promise God gave to Caleb for having a different attitude than those around him. Even in the midst of persecution maintain your attitude by focusing on the promise.