Our society defines attitudes from an emotional perspective and deflects personal responsibility. If someone exhibits a bad attitude, psychologists deem them victims—victims of poverty, neglect, rejection or abuse. Rather than taking responsibility and self-correcting one’s bad attitude, people find it easier to cast dispersion upon a peer or an authority figure they feel has failed them. In the process of deflecting responsibility for one’s attitudes, they dig a deeper emotional and spiritual rut!
Today’s devotional will challenge you to look into your own heart for the cause of attitudes that beset you. More than emotions, attitudes are an external indicator of the bent or direction of one’s heart and thoughts.
Proverbs 13:1 – “A wise son heareth his father’s instruction [correction]: but a scorner [scoffer] heareth not rebuke [firm reproof].”
Notice the heart attitude of the “wise son”—he hears and heeds his father’s correction, reproof and rebuke. His attitude toward his father’s discipline is that of a
learner, unlike the scorner. The scorner “heareth not rebuke”—he mocks the authorities in his life and holds them in derision. He blames others for his attitudes and justifies his rebellion by focusing on what he perceives as their failures. He is a slave to “stinking thinking”, a pattern rooted within the bent of his heart and thoughts. Allow me to illustrate this truth with a childhood memory.
I remember NASA illustrating the entry of space capsules into earth’s atmosphere in the 1960’s and emphasizing the attitude of the nose of the capsule. Attitude was the word NASA used to define the direction of the top or nose of the capsule as 
contrasted with the heat shield at its base. If the attitude of the nose were right, the heat shield at the base of the capsule would deflect the fiery heat of earth’s atmosphere. If the attitude of the capsule were wrong, the capsule and its occupants would burn up upon re-entry. Life and death were directly related to the attitude of the capsule’s nose.
That same principle is true concerning our attitudes. A pattern of bad attitudes will drive one emotionally and spiritually down a path of self-destruction. However, the answer to a life of bad attitudes [anger, rebellion, resentment, jealousy, etc.] is not to merely confess and correct negative attitudes or emotions…it is to get to the heart of the problem, which is the problem of a sinful heart! In other words, as goes the heart so goes the attitude!
A Right Heart/Mind/Pattern of Thoughts = A Right Attitude
A Wrong Heart/Mind/Pattern of Thoughts = A Wrong Attitude
My friend, if you are waging war with sinful attitudes, the solution is not for others to change, but for you to change. Too many look outside themselves for a solution to enslaving attitudes…a different spouse, different school, different job, different church…foolishly thinking different will make a difference! Not so! 
If you are weary of battling with enslaving attitudes, look to the bent and direction of your own heart and “stinking thoughts”. Take a few minutes and do an honest, spiritual heart check-up and take responsibility for your attitudes! Get control of your thoughts and you will overcome your attitudes (Philippians 4:8; Proverbs 23:7).