Develop the attitude of a victor

When I was young, my accordion teacher gave me some advice I’ve never forgotten: “If you ever hit a wrong note, just keep on smiling, and the audience won’t know the difference.”

In other words, my attitude would determine my success. Instead of obsessing over a wrong note until it ruined my performance, I needed to change my mindset.

You may not play the accordion, but my teacher’s advice applies to the Christian life as well: Our attitude determines our success.

We can’t always choose our circumstances, but we can choose our response. At one time or another, most of us have allowed negative circumstances to control our mindset. But the Bible says we need to have the attitude of a victor, not a victim.

Consider the Old Testament story of Joseph. He faced all kinds of adversity:

• Unloving actions by his family members, who sold him into slavery.
• Undeserved accusations from his master’s wife, who had him thrown into prison on false charges.
• Unfair neglect by his friends, who forgot about him when their own circumstances changed.

Joseph could have wallowed and said, “Woe is me!” But throughout his story, the Bible says repeatedly, “The Lord was with Joseph.” Joseph couldn’t see God’s entire plan, but he overcame his circumstances by developing the attitude of a victor.

Maybe you’re feeling beaten down by adverse circumstances in your life right now. Perhaps, like Joseph, you’ve been mistreated or neglected by people you trusted. Those hurts can cut deeply.

Friend, I don’t want difficult or painful circumstances to keep you from experiencing God’s best for you. I want you to be an overcomer, just like Joseph. So let me share three ways you can develop the attitude of a victor.

1. Keep God’s commandments. Whatever situation Joseph was in, he obeyed God. For example, when his master’s wife tried to seduce him, he resisted her and said, “How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9).

When you’re unsure of the next step to take, one safe move is to obey God’s commandments. When you don’t know what to do, obey what you know to be true.

2. Glorify God in your life. Whether Joseph was in the pit, in slavery, or in prison, he sought to glorify God.

Victors realize they’re here for one purpose: to direct people’s attention toward God. As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “Whether . . . you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

3. Trust in God’s purpose. Eventually, Joseph was reunited with his brothers, who had sold him into slavery and kicked off the series of adverse circumstances in his life. Joseph said to them, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20).

You may feel like you’ve been forgotten by others or by God Himself. But God knows exactly what’s going on in your life. Romans 8:28–29 says God is using everything in your life for His good and loving purpose: to make you more like Jesus Christ so you can experience the abundant quality of life Jesus experienced.

No matter what circumstances you’re facing, I hope you will seek to obey God’s commandments, glorify God in your life, and trust in God’s purpose for you. That’s how you can achieve victory in your life today!