Seven Fresh Attitudes for the Christ Follower – Phillip Keller

I’ve been reading through Phillip Keller’s books – A Shepherd Looks At The 23rd Psalm, and right now I’m on A Shepherd Looks At the Good Shepherd. W. Phillip Keller was the son of missionary parents, and an East African shepherd around the 1950’s-60’s. In his books, he shares his first hand experience with sheep and talks about the interesting similarities between sheep and people. In his first book, he comments how “…it is no mere whim on God’s part to call us sheep. Our behavior patterns and life habits are so much like that of sheep it is well nigh embarrassing”. He also talks about the great affection and care that a good shepherd will have for his sheep, and contrasts that with how the Good Shepherd, Jesus, cares so much for us, His sheep. ❤️

I’ve found Keller’s writings to be such a blessing and VERY insightful! As I was reading through his second book this week, I came across this section that was so good I wanted to share it on here. 🙂 I know I have been guilty at times of being a little apathetic in my Christian walk, and this was such a great reminder of what the Christian life is to be about!

“Jesus never made light of the cost involved in following Him. In fact, He made it painfully clear that it was a rugged life of rigid self-denial. It entailed a whole new set of attitudes. It was not the natural, normal way a person would ordinarily live, and this is what made the price so prohibitive to people. In brief, seven fresh attitudes have to be acquired. They are the equivalent of progressive forward movements onto new ground with God. Nothing will please Him more, and certainly no other activity on our part can or will result in as great benefit to lives around us.”

“It must be noted that all the steps outlined here involve the will. The saints from earliest times have repeatedly pointed out that nine-tenths of being a Christian, of becoming a true follower, a dedicated disciple, lies in the will.”

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1. “Instead of loving myself most I am willing to love Christ best and others more than myself.”

“Now love in a scriptural sense is not a soft, sentimental emotion. It is a deliberate act of my will. It means that I am willing to lay down my life, put myself out on behalf of another. This is precisely what God did for us in Christ. ‘Hereby perceive (understand) we the love of God, because He laid down his life for us’ (1 John 3:16). The moment I deliberately do something definite either for God or others that costs me something, I am expressing love. Love is ‘selflessness’ or ‘self-sacrifice’ in contradistinction to ‘selfishness’. Most of us know little of living like this, or being ‘led’ in this right way. But once a person discovers the delight of doing something for others, he has started through the gate which leads into one of God’s green pastures.”

2. “Instead of being one of the crowd I am willing to be singled out, set apart from the gang.”

“Most of us, like sheep, are pretty gregarious. We want to belong. We don’t want to be different in a big way, though we may wish to be different in minor details that appeal to our selfish egos. But Christ pointed out that only a few would find His way acceptable, and to be marked as one of His would mean a certain amount of criticism and sarcasm from a cynical society. Many of us don’t want this. Just as He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, so we may be. Instead of adding to the sorrows and sadness of society we may be called on to help bear some of the burdens of others, to enter into the suffering of others. Are we ready to do this?”

3. “Instead of insisting on my rights I am willing to forgo them in favor of others.”

“Basically, this is what the Master meant by denying one’s self. It is not easy or natural to do this. Even in the loving atmosphere of the home, self-assertion is evident and the powerful exercise of individual rights is always apparent. But the person who is willing to pocket his pride, to take a back seat, to play second fiddle without a feeling of being abused or put upon, has gone a long way onto new ground with God. There is a tremendous emancipation from ‘self’ in this attitude. One is set free from the shackles of personal pride. It’s pretty hard to hurt such a person. He who has no sense of self-importance cannot be offended or deflated. Somehow such people enjoy a wholesome outlook or carefree abandon that makes their Christian lives contagious with contentment and gaiety.”

4. “Instead of being ‘boss’ I am willing to be at the bottom of the heap.”

“Or to use sheep terminology, instead of being ‘Top Ram’ I’m willing to be a ‘tailender’. When the desire for self-assertion and self-aggrandizement gives way to the desire for simply pleasing God and others, much of the fret and strain is drained away from daily living. A hallmark of the serene soul is the absence of ‘drive’, at least drive for self-determination. The person who is prepared to put his personal life and affairs in the Master’s hands for His management and direction has found the place of rest in fresh fields each day. These are the ones who find time and energy to please others.”

5. “Instead of finding fault with life and always asking: Why? I am willing to accept every circumstance of life in an attitude of gratitude.”

“Humans, being what they are, somehow feel entitled to question the reasons for everything that happens to them. In many instances life itself becomes a continuous criticism and dissection of one’s circumstances and acquaintances. We look for someone or something on which to pin the blame for our misfortunes. We are often quick to forget our blessings, slow to forget our misfortunes. But if one really believes his affairs are in God’s hands, every event, no matter whether joyous or tragic, will be taken as part of God’s plan. To know beyond doubt that He does all for our welfare is to be led into a wide area of peace and quietness and strength for every situation.”

6. “Instead of exercising and asserting my will, I learn to co-operate with His wishes and comply with His will.”

“It must be noted that all the steps outlined here involve the will. The saints from earliest times have repeatedly pointed out that nine-tenths of being a Christian, of becoming a true follower, a dedicated disciple, lies in the will. When a man allows his will to be crossed out, cancelling the great ‘I’ in his decision, then indeed the Cross has been applied to that life. This is the meaning of taking up one’s cross daily – to go to one’s death – no longer my will in the matter but His will be done.”

7. “Instead of choosing my own way I am willing to choose to follow in Christ’s way, simply to do what He asks me to do.”

“This basically is simple, straightforward obedience. It means I do what He asks me to do. I go where He invites me to go. I say what He instructs me to say. I act and react in the manner He maintains is in my best interest as well as for His reputation. Most of us possess a formidable amount of factual information on what the Master expects of us. Precious few have either the will, intention, or determination to act on it and comply with His instructions. But the person who decides to do what God asks him has moved onto fresh ground which will do both him and others a world of good. Besides, it will please the Good Shepherd. 

God wants us all to move on with Him. He wants us to walk with Him. He wants it not only for our welfare but for the benefit of others as well as His own reputation. Perhaps there are those who think He expects too much of us. Maybe they feel the demands are too drastic. Some may consider His call impossible to carry out. It would be if we have to depend on self-determination to succeed. But if we are in earnest about wanting to do His will, and to be led, He makes this possible by His own gracious Spirit who is given to those who obey (Acts 5:32). For it is He who works in us ‘both to will and to do of his good pleasure’ (Philippians 2:13).”

–Phillip Keller, A Shepherd Looks At the Good Shepherd