Why

Sunday, September 11, will be the tenth anniversary of a tragic day in American history. It was a day that showed that we are not as safe and secure as we once thought. A day when the unthinkable happened, we were attacked.
After the planes hit the towers, the pentagon, and the field in Pennsylvania, many questions were being asked. One primary question was, “Why did God allow this to happen?”
We must understand that God did not make the plans of the attack. He did not hijack the planes. He did not fly the planes into their final destinations. Man did. Nevertheless, that does not satisfactorily answer the question.
The Bible gives accounts of many instances where people suffered at the hands of others and one wonders why did this happen to them.
Joseph was loved by his father, so much that it caused a rift in the family. His brothers sold him into slavery, and he was eventually wrongfully imprisoned. Later, when he had a chance to meet his brothers, he said to them, "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.” (Genesis 50:20 NASB)
These terrorists wanted to destroy America. They wanted evil to reign from that day forward. As the towers were falling, the Pentagon smoldering, and a plane crashed in Pennsylvania, the media (secular as it is) kept announcing for people to pray. The newscasters, the leaders of America, and people on the streets, were turning to God for the answers. The terrorists wanted evil, but God used it for good.
Job was a man of great wealth. He had every material thing imaginable. He had a wonderful wife, many children, and a massive homestead. In one horrible day, it all was taken away. His homestead destroyed, his children killed, and he was covered with debilitating sores. During his struggles, Job said, “Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” (Job 2:10 NASB)
While we tend to think that only good can bring about a blessing, it is also through the trials that blessings will occur. In order to receive the blessing, we must accept the trial that we are going through. How less treasured is the blessing, if there is no struggle to get it? It is through the trials that we will be immensely blessed.
Paul was an enthusiastic witness for God. He traveled all over the Mediterranean. He was beaten, imprisoned, stoned, and shipwrecked. However, he wrote, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:18 NASB)
Paul was focused in eternity. He knew whatever happened today, was not going to take away from the joys of eternity. He knew that one day, he would be in his Saviors arms. He suffered through many trials while spreading the message of Jesus Christ. While suffering he did not waver from his duty. He knew it was going to be rough. He knew it was going to be hard. However, he continued even through the trials, for his focus was not on today, but on eternity.
While each one had various trials in their lives, they all knew God was working. God allowed each one to go through their trials; each one had the proper response to their trial.
God allows things to happen to show how He is working and to bring good into every circumstance. While certain people may intentionally try to do evil things, God will work things out for the good of people. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God,” (Romans 8:23 NASB) These “all things” includes the evil actions of other people.
By persevering through the trials that we are able to understand the blessings that will come. “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” (James 1:12 NASB)
God allows things to happen to bring us closer to Him. September 16, 2001 saw a significant increase in church attendance. One study showed that Over 90% of churches had an increase in attendance from the previous weeks. Of those churches, over 70% was an increase of ten or more. People were turning to God for the answers.
Ten years later, let us not forget what happened, and what we did: We turned to God. Let us persevere through this trial and any other that comes our way and continue to lean on God, for then, we can be found approved and will receive the crown of life.

Our Own Attitude

I admit it; I have been suffering from some massive writers block lately. I get an idea in my brain and for some reason I have been unable to formulate it into anything that would be considered readable. It has been a struggle for me lately. Not only do I try to maintain this online blog, but I also contribute to the newspaper. Both have pretty much been neglected of late.
Therefore, this past week, I have been pondering what to write. Do I write about attitude? Do I write about overcoming obstacles? Do I write about the softball team? Do I write about my childhood and how we used to throw Frisbees at each other, not to catch, but with the purpose of actually hitting the other person? Much like the Frisbees of my youth, I was sitting at my computer and it hit me. I can write about the softball team overcoming obstacles with our attitude.
We are in the middle of our softball season. While some may not be impressed with our 3-8 record, I really like it. Before the season began, I had a rotten attitude. My attitude was so bad; it rubbed off onto the rest of the team. A few of us would spend an hour or so after a practice complaining about the way the league would end up. I was the loudest complainer.
Before our first game, I recognized that I had created a monster of negativity. As the coach, I had to come up with something to change our attitudes. Our modern notions of an attitude do not seem to show up very much in Scripture. Bible versions only have a handful of references to words that are translated as "attitude." The most familiar is the Greek word, “phroneo” which means “being like minded” and is used in Philippians 2:5, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus” (NASB). In order to overcome the obstacle of negativity, we had to change our attitude.
As a Christian, we are representations of Jesus Christ. Therefore, we must carry the same attitude that he carried. Not only were we representing the Outlaws on the softball field, we were representatives of Jesus Christ. What we did, and how we acted was going to reflect back to Jesus.
One thing that we can control is our own attitude. On the softball field, when things did not go our way, we were faced with a decision. Do we throw our glove on the ground and kick it across the field, or do we smile and do our best to change the situation? Do we blame our teammates or do we pick them up? Is our attitude going to be positive or negative?
Without boring you with the exploits of our first two games (we did win one of them) our attitude greatly changed. What was once considered a lost season before we began, is now a positive season. While we may have come out on the wrong end of the score on most of our games so far, we are no longer consumed with the negativity. At the end of each night, I give the players a chance to talk about the game. The encouraging thing is that they do not discuss the negative, or the reasons we lost. They discuss the positive things, how we encouraged or helped one another.
When the season began, we made the choice as a team, that we will control our own attitude. Whatever obstacles arise, we will face them as a team, with the positive attitude that can only come through Jesus Christ.