As a boy I was fascinated by ant hills. Some of them were more than a third of a metre high. Ants were constantly scurrying around the top of the hill carrying parts of dried leaves and twigs many times their size.

Others were traveling on little paths away from the hill and others were on these paths returning to the ant hill. All the ants had something to do that seemed important to them. Most of their activity I did not understand.

I wonder what God thinks as He looks down from Heaven and sees us scurrying here and rushing there, running around in circles. Many of us have identified with King Solomon's lament, "Meaningless! Meaningless! . . . Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless." What does man gain from all his labour at which he toils under the sun?" (Ecclesiastics 1:1-3 NIV) To Solomon life was like one big ant hill or an intersection with a thousand possible choices, none of them really going anywhere.

When I walk my own road, my life resembles my view of ant hill existence, but when I walk in God's way, Proverbs 4:18 expresses my life experience, "The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day."
I'm on a journey and I know which road leads me into the light. I have a definite destination in mind and I know why I'm walking the road I've chosen. It is a path that God says will make me the head and not the tail. A path that will keep me on the top and not on the bottom. A path that brings great glory to the name of my God and Saviour.

In an earlier message I said that being on the top and not the bottom, being the head and not the tail means that God's people will be in positions of leadership and influence. It means that God wants us on the cutting edge in the arts, sciences and literature.

The result of this will be that the people of the earth will declare, "Look at how great their God is." This is the success that God honours. This is the blessing of God that comes to those who walk in the ways of the Lord. Let's read again the dream God has for His children as recorded in Deuteronomy 28:1-14

Last weeks message identified three principle areas of conduct that characterize the way of the Lord. First; God says that He wants us to worship him as our sole source. Second; God wants us to treat the orphans, widows, the poor and the alien with justice and charity. Third; We must abstain from all sexual sin. Modern man minimizes the terrible long term consequences to our society of these three sins.

Today I want you to lock on to a mental image of your life before you started to walk in the ways of God. Can you remember the sensation of being in spiritual darkness? Do you remember how nothing seemed to make sense to you? Then one day you received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour.

For many of you it was like one moment you were stumbling down a path in darkness and the next moment light shone on your path. The beam of light was only twelve inches wide, but at the time it seemed like the sun pierced your darkness. For the first time in your life you had the distinct impression that you were on a path with a positive destination.

Your lifestyle began to change as you began living for God's glory. The beam of light shinning on your path increased as you began looking to God as your source, the one who meets all your needs. The light on your path shone brighter as you took a greater interest in the poor, the elderly, the fatherless and the alien that crossed your path.

Oh the joy and victory that filled your heart when you turned your back on sexual sin and wow, the beam of light on your path increased in size. The wise man was right, "The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day." (Proverbs 4:18 NIV)

This weeks message deals with attitudes that characterize people who are walking in the way of the Lord. These attitudes are the fruit of our obedience to God's commands.

When we worship Jehovah God and Him alone as our source, a positive attitude begins to emerge in our lives. When we begin to minister to the needs of the fatherless, the orphans, widows, the elderly and the poor our attitude sweetens and softens.

Once we close the door to sexual sin we experience divine empowerment that releases a positive, Godly attitude that feels like flying. When we act right, we think right. Positive attitudes follow Godly actions.

Listed below are eight Godly attitudes that character people walking in the way of the Lord. God blesses these eight attitudes and opportunities begin to present themselves for us to be the head and not the tail, on top and not on the bottom.

1. The way of the Lord is a worshipful attitude.
The Psalmist said. "Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendour of his holiness." (Psalm 29:2 NIV) The Psalm writer worshipped God seven days a week. Worship sees the hand of God moving at our place of employment. It is speaking praise to Him for the glory of His handiwork that we see as we drive and walk. Worship enables us to see our cup of life as half full and not half empty.

2. The way of the Lord is a secure attitude based on Christ's keeping power.
Jesus said, "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand." (John 10:28 NIV) This is a conviction that God will never, never, never abandon me. I am secure in Him. God's relationship to me is never in doubt.

Our security in Christ is the foundation for a healthy, Godly self-confidence that is necessary to function as the head and not the tail. Our confidence is based in a relationship that God will never abandon. For that relationship to bless and encourage me I must keep walking in the ways of God. My sin draws a veil between God and me causing me to feel alone and abandoned.

3. The Way of the Lord is a victorious Attitude That Permeates Our Thinking.
The Apostle taught his new converts to adopt an attitude of victory. "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31 NIV) When our actions are god like, our thinking is positive. School your children in King David's winning attitude that Jesus is our victory.

4. The way of the Lord is an attitude that serves.
"Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness." (Philippians 2:4-7 NIV)

We cannot walk the way of the Lord with a selfish heart. Selfishness is diametrically opposed to love. God is looking for people who will be pipe lines through which His fabulous blessings can flow to others.

5. The way of the Lord is an attitude of deference.
The Apostle Paul shows us that deference is joyfully limiting our freedom so that we don't offend another person's taste. "If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil". (Romans 14:15-16 NIV)

We have the choice of being abrasive or gracious people. The Psalmist reminds us that, "The LORD is gracious and compassionate." (Psalm 111:4 NIV) Our culture still prizes the three A's of graciousness demonstrated by our attitude, actions and attire.

A rotten attitude, boorish crude actions and violations of appropriate dress codes can cap our employment success, limit our social relationships, rob us of quality living and give people negative impressions of our Saviour.

"Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak." (1 Corinthians 8:9 NIV) Deference gives us favour with God and man. We need that favour to become the head and not the tail, on top and not on the bottom.

6. The way of the Lord is a teachable attitude.
"My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in." (Proverbs 3:11-12 NIV) "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed." (Proverbs 15:22 NIV) "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm." (Proverbs 13:20 NIV)

The people we walk with are the books and magazines we read, the movies and TV shows we watch. What we watch and read helps determine if we will be the head or the tail, on the top or the bottom. The choice is ours.

7. The way of the Lord is an attitude that values relationships
"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. (Proverbs 17:17 NIV) I will not use or abuse my friendships for my own selfish purposes. Show respect and value for your relationships by remembering that, "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger." (Proverbs 15:1 KJV)

8. The way of the Lord is an attitude of openness toward God Ordained Opportunity
"After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward." (Genesis 15:1 NIV) For Abraham the "Way of the Lord" was an opportunity that he was called upon to embrace.

God planned that he would become a great nation of people who were the head and not the tail and, at the top and not on the bottom. Those are great reasons to choose to walk in the way of the Lord.

Remember, it is pointless to pray, "God change my attitude." The decisions and choices we make is what changes our attitudes. Once we change our actions, our attitudes begin to turn positive. Then God says, "This is a person who will walk in my ways and bring great glory to my name. This person will be at the head, not at the tail, at the top and not the bottom.