Attitude—The Difference Maker #5: The Limitations of Attitude

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5).

One of the most inspiring stories of a person with a great attitude was that of Rudy Ruettiger. Rudy’s dream was to place football at Notre Dame. He went through numerous struggles to even get accepted at Notre Dame and eventually onto their football team. Beyond those struggles, Rudy was not built like a football player at 5’6” and 165 lbs. Yet Rudy’s heart and attitude made up for many of his inadequacies. The coaches loved him. He made his teammates rise to the occasion as they went out onto the football field. However, on account of his lack of physical abilities and size, he only ended up playing in three plays in the last game of the season of his senior year. Again, Rudy’s heart, and attitude were extraordinary, yet that can only take you so far.

John Maxwell said, “You cannot disconnect attitude from reality and expect success.” Thus, it is my prayer that you are successful in life. And attitude will play a huge part in that, yet attitude does not undermine the need for other things.

There are five keys for success. First is competence. If you think you can do something, that’s confidence. If you can do it, that’s competence. Both are needed for success.

Second, to be successful, you need experience. Attaining experience is not always easy especially if you are applying for a job that requires it, yet you need the job in order to gain the experience. Besides that, experience is often painful. Yet it requires this pain in order to prepare you for the success that you are searching for.

Third, a positive attitude cannot change the facts. This can be seen in Rudy’s life. He simply did not have the physical stature or athletic abilities necessary to be a college football player.

Fourth, attitude is no substitute for personal growth. If you want to succeed, you must make the conscious effort to grow. Musician Bruce Springsteen said, “A time comes when you need to stop waiting for the man you want to become and start being the man you want to be.”

Lastly, your attitude will not stay good automatically. Life has a way of knocking us down at times, compounded with living in a society that tends to be very negative is a recipe for a bad attitude. Therefore, maintaining a good attitude will require great effort, yet looking to the Lord, His strength, example, and promises can make all the difference.

More of Him, less of me,

Matt

(Portions from John Maxwell, The Difference Maker)

Theology 201 #14: Dressed for Success Part 1

“Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame...At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves” (Gen. 2:25; 3:7).

Why do you wear clothes? And why do you wear the clothes that you do? Are there certain types of clothes that people should or should not wear? For some of us, we could think about styles that we don’t care for, or things that clash, or things that are too revealing (or not revealing enough). Or perhaps you think of clothing, jewelry, or hair styles that you don’t think anyone, especially Christians should have.

The topic of clothing affects us all. For some, they don’t see a problem with any style, including wearing virtually nothing in public. Thus, some people advocate nudist colonies, beaches, or just open nudity period. Others believe that very little should be exposed: including necessity for head coverings, long dresses for women, and possibly even veils. Most people believe somewhere in between these two extremes. Yet what does the Bible have to say?

Before we can address this topic, we need to understand why we wear clothes in the first place. Yes, some will make the case that it provides warmth; yet that is not the reason why clothing first appeared. The reason that people first began to wear clothing comes back to the topic of shame of one’s sin. This was the reason that Adam and Eve first began to wear clothing.

Understand, it is not shameful for a husband and wife to be naked in each other’s presence. In fact, enjoying one’s spouse sexually is ordained by God, and celebrated in certain areas of the Bible. On the other hand, nudity in anyone else’s presence is considered to be shameful. This was the case with Noah’s son, Ham, seeing his father’s nakedness (Gen. 9:22-28). Again, the reasoning comes back to shame of one’s sin. Noah sinned by getting drunk, and then he uncovered himself in his tent. After which, Ham looked upon his father’s nakedness.  However, what is so wrong about Ham mistakenly seeing his father naked?

James Boice explains this issue by saying, Ham “could have covered his father as his two brothers did, but instead he went and told them, apparently making fun of his father's drunken and uncovered state. It was an attack on his father's honor.

Moreover, it may have been a repudiation of his father's religion. Robert Candlish makes this point well: "He [Ham] not merely dishonored him as a parent—he disliked him as a preacher of righteousness. Hence his satisfaction, his irrepressible joy, when he caught the patriarch in such a state of degradation. Ah! he has found that the godly man is no better than his neighbors; he has got behind the scenes; he has made a notable discovery; and now he cannot contain himself. Forth he rushes, all hot and impatient, to publish the news, so welcome to himself! And if he can meet with any of his brethren who have more sympathy with this excessive sanctity than he has, what a relief—what a satisfaction—to cast this choice specimen in their teeth; and so make good his right to triumph over them and their faith ever after."

The only thing that is worse than committing a specific sin is the devilish delight of finding out and reveling in that sin in others. This Ham did! His brothers, by contrast, grieved for their father and did what they could to remove the indignity” (Boice Expositional Commentary - An Expositional Commentary – Genesis, Volume 1: Creation and Fall (Genesis 1-11).

When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden and realized that they were naked, they tried to cover their shamefulness by clothing themselves with fig leaves. Yet that was when the Lord came along, confronted their sin, and properly covered their shame (nakedness) through the sacrificial death of an animal (Gen. 3:21). Ultimately, that sacrificial death that the Lord made was a picture of Jesus’s sacrificial death on the cross.

Receiving what Jesus did for us is the only way for our shame to be removed. When we receive what Jesus did for us on the cross through the Biblical plan of salvation, we are clothed with Christ. “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ” (Gal. 3:27 NASB). Furthermore, both the Old and New Testaments reveal clothing as a symbol of God’s mercy and redemption. Revelation 19:8 speaks of the Bride of Christ, aka, the church receiving this special type of clothing. “Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints” (see also Ps. 45:13-14).

However, today, people will try to cover their own shame in a variety of ways: works based religions, or rationalizing their sins, “Hey, nobody is perfect.” Yes, it is true that no one is perfect (except God); yet admitting to that is not the same as receiving God’s forgiveness. On the other hand, some will openly flaunt their sinfulness, glamorizing it. This is the case of the pornography industry. Pornography and open nudity deny this need to be clothed with Christ, and having our shameful sins covered, as the Lord had to do with Adam and Eve. That is idolatry! Thus, pornography and open nudity stand defiantly against Christ; this is a serious danger of these things.

Another serious danger of pornography and open nudity is that it causes people to stumble. The longer one looks at the nudity, the more they will be enticed sexually. Jesus stated that whoever even looked lustfully at a person has already committed adultery in their hearts (Matt. 5:27-28). The Bible warns that sexual immorality will lead a person to hell (1 Cor. 6:9-11; Rev. 21:8).

A third danger of pornography and open nudity is that it can bring pleasure for a period of time, yet it is fleeting and destructive.  Proverbs 6:32 says, “A man who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself.” Viewing pornography is committing adultery in one’s heart. The Bible teaches that we are to not let anything have mastery over us (2 Peter 2:19); however, sexual sins can be very addictive. Proverbs 4:23–27 commands us to do the following. “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity.… Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.”

A fourth danger of pornography and open nudity is that it leads to betraying your spouse and children. It is breaking your promise to be loyal to them. You are betraying them with the mental images of another person, committing adultery in your heart. Thus, it can ruin your marriage.

There are many other dangers associated with open nudity and pornography. Yet, it never ceases to amaze me how society flaunts it, yet when its negative consequences take place, society shames you. This is where the grace of our Lord comes in. He covers our shame with His righteousness. Therefore, every day when you get dressed, let it serve as a reminder to you of God’s grace covering your sin and shame

In His service,

Matt

Elder’s Corner: Why Garden?

It seems every year I get a little bit further behind on getting my garden put out. It rains or the soil is too hard, or I'm busy with other projects. My wife says “you can buy tomatoes and cucumbers at the vegetable stand or market and you would save yourself lots of work.” I object because I know the gardening is actually good therapy for me and may also help me burn a few extra calories. The real reason I choose to garden is because of the spiritual therapy it gives me. It reminds me of how dependent on God the children of Israel were, as they depended on rains for crops and animals and to sustain them.

As we get away from the totally agricultural community that they lived in, we sometimes forget that God blessed nations who honored Him. The farmers sometimes hope for life giving rain for their crops and I'm reminded that the garden needs water too. True I can run a hose to the garden to water it, but they didn't have that option. They had to depend on God to supply their very livelihood. If the crops didn't survive neither did they, and many didn't survive when droughts persisted and a famine occurred. It reminded them to pray and give God glory for His goodness through their crop production. They even had a feast of harvest to celebrate His divine intervention in their lives. I think we need to be drawn to our knees as well and thank Him for His intervention in our lives. This coronavirus has also made me think if I raise my own produce I could survive without trips to the store if necessary. I hope those green beans just keep coming.   

--Alan

Attitude—The Difference Maker #4: The Ingredients of One’s Attitude

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5).

Question: how is your attitude? It can be extremely easy to have a very negative attitude throughout this whole coronavirus pandemic. Even apart from this pandemic, it is common to encounter people with bad attitudes. And I will admit regrettably that at times, I have been that person. Therefore, if nothing more, I write these articles on attitude to help transform my own personal attitude, for as Pastor Craig Groeschel said, “A negative mindset never leads to a positive life!”

John Maxwell shares eight factors that contribute to one’s attitude. First, is personality. One of the joys of being a minister is to take couples through premarriage counseling. I always insist on having the couple take a personality test. While the couples have fun doing this, they tend to learn a ton about how their future spouse thinks and acts. Often couples are attracted to people with a very different personality, yet in marriage those differences can be points of contention. Regardless, one’s personality can have a significant role in shaping one’s attitude. For example, some people by nature are the life of the party so to speak, others tend to be very similar to Eeyore from the Disney cartoon Winnie the Pooh. This is not to say that one particular personality is better than others; it is just a key ingredient that does affect one’s attitude.

A second ingredient of one’s attitude is their environment. John Maxwell explains this in the following way. “The environment you were exposed to growing up definitely has an impact on your attitude. Did your parents go through a divorce? That may cause you to have a mistrustful attitude toward members of the opposite sex. Did someone close to you die? That may prompt you to have an attitude of emotional distancing from others. Did you grow up in a poor neighborhood? That may prompt you to have a tenacious attitude toward achievement. In contrast, it could make you want to give up more easily” (The Difference Maker, p. 6).

I have always found it fascinating how two people can grow up in the same home, possibly even being identical twins, experience the same things, yet respond to them radically different. Even so, both would tell you that it was their environment that shaped them into the person that they became.

A third ingredient of one’s attitude is the words of others. I often say, the old adage, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me” is a lie! The things other people say to us and of us can have a huge impact on our lives. Often, the wounds of verbal abuse will last a lifetime in comparison to other types of abuse that may last only a moment (this is not to undermine the effects of other types of abuse, rather to realize the impact of one’s words). It’s like a recording in our mind that continues to replay over and over again the negative things others have said to us. This is especially true of the words of someone we look up to including a parent, sibling, spouse, grandparent, or adult child. Then as a result, people who have deep hurts tend to hurt others.  On the other hand, how much good can a positive comment accomplish?

A fourth ingredient of one’s attitude is how you see yourself. This can be related to the others already mentioned. One writer said, “Examine the labels you apply to yourself. Every label is a boundary or limit you will not let yourself cross” (Dwayne Dyer). Thus, if you continue to beat yourself up over one thing or another, it will likely be displayed in your attitude.

A fifth ingredient of one’s attitude is your exposure to growth opportunities. Growth opportunities can include a variety of things. This would most definitely include the schools and colleges that one attends. It would also include people who served as mentors. And it would include any book, article, or educational film. It has been said that you are the person that you will be five years from now with the addition of the books that you read and the people that you associate with.

The people that we associate with can be considered as a growth opportunity, and they can also be considered by themselves. The simple fact of the matter is that the people that one associates with does have an impact on one’s attitude. This is why the Bible has a lot to say about those that we hang out with.

Proverbs 22:24-25 in the New Century Version says, “Don’t make friends with quick-tempered people or spend time with those who have bad tempers. If you do, you will be like them. Then you will be in real danger.” It can be amazing how easy it is to pick up a bad attitude from someone else, and then, in turn, respond to others just like that person with the bad attitude did. So be careful with who you associate with.

A seventh ingredient of one’s attitude is their beliefs. Proverbs 23:7 in the Amplified Bible says it like this. “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he...” Maxwell said, “Every thought you have shapes your life. What you think about your neighbor is your attitude toward him. The way you think about your job is your attitude toward work. Your thoughts concerning your spouse, the people on the highway during rush hour, and the government create your attitude toward each of those subjects” (The Difference Maker, pg. 11).

An eighth ingredient that shapes one’s attitude the choices that you make. Victor Frankl was a man that literally went through absolute terror living as a prisoner in the Nazi death camps. While he was in there he suffered daily from hunger. The Nazis virtually starved people to death.

Beyond this the climate in Germany can get downright frigid at certain times of the year, and yet, the Nazis once again didn’t care if the prisoners froze to death. And Frankl suffered from the brutality of the Nazis. It was a regular occurrence to be beaten for no particular reason at all. And there were many whom Frankl witnessed that had died this way. To make matters worse, Frankl’s father, mother, brother, and even Frankl’s wife died in this concentration camp from either the harsh treatment or because of the Nazis’ gas chambers.

In spite of all of these things, Frankl said in his book Man’s Search For Meaning: “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way. Even though conditions such as lack of sleep, insufficient food and various mental stresses may suggest that the inmates were bound to react in certain ways, in the final analysis it becomes clear that the sort of person the prisoner became was the result of an inner decision: and not the result of camp influences alone.”

Therefore, while there are a number of factors that contribute to one’s attitude, the bottom line is this, attitude is a choice. We can choose to have a good attitude or a bad attitude. Yes, this is not always easy.

No doubt it had to be challenging for Jesus to have a good attitude in spite of knowing that He was going to lead to servanthood, rejection, and crucifixion. Yet it eventually led to His exaltation (Phil. 2:9-11). And the same is true of us. James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.” Thus, may we choose to have the same attitude that Jesus did, and just watch as it makes all the difference in the world, as God lifts you up in His timing!

More of Him, less of me,

Matt