The four convictions Paul held that helped him have a winning attitude in every circumstance can help us experience the same spirit as we remember and reflect on them. However, Paul had a practice which we will find tremendously helpful in maintaining a winning attitude regardless of what is happening to us. It was one he practiced, and a habit he taught to others. We’ll discover it in this message.

The fourth conviction that produces a winning attitude is the conviction that through Christ my only limitation is what God wants me to do or to experience. We’ll see how this conviction buoyed Paul up through many afflictions and trials and gave him a contented and peaceful spirit. This same conviction will give us confidence, courage, and hope as we face today’s needs and whatever the future may hold. 

Conviction #2 that leads to a positive spirit is that God is in control of everything. We’ll see how Paul’s experiences in getting to Rome and while in Rome reinforced what he already knew from scripture: that God was in control of his life and of everything around him. That conviction gave him peace about his uncertain future while imprisoned and waiting for a trial that could result in his execution. His conviction, when it becomes our conviction, will give us confidence in our present circumstances and confidence about our future.

The remarkable presence of optimism, joy, hopefulness, expectancy, and contentment in the New Testament can be traced to the convictions that followers of Christ possessed. These convictions were based on God’s nature and his actions on their behalf. Today, these convictions can also help us move from discouragement to optimism, from despair to hope, and from defeat to expectation. We’ll be discovering these in this series, starting with four in the book of Philippians. Today: the conviction that God is still at work in me and in others. Find out the difference that can make in your attitude today.