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.

Another Adversary

Unless you have completely isolated yourself from society by not watching television, reading a newspaper, been connected to any online website, not answered your phone, or had any contact with any person able to communicate, you have undoubtedly heard the big news of the week. Prince William got married to now Princess Catherine. From Thursday night until Sunday night, that was the big news. Until. . . Sunday evening when it was announced during the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies baseball game that Osama (Usama) Bin Laden was killed.
Yes, Bin Laden has been killed, but do not be fooled, there is another adversary in the world. We must not let our guard down and we must continue to be vigilant and be on the alert for him, “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8 NASB)
Recently, there have been books and articles written that attempt to make the statement that the devil does not exist. That is a tactic used to gain a foothold. If a person is not prepared for an adversary, because they believe the adversary does not exist, they will not be able to overcome the adversary, for they will not be prepared. Just like a thief in someone’s home. They lock the doors and protect their possessions, not because they have been robbed, but because the existence of thieves. If thieves did not exist, then people would not lock their doors, for there would be no reason to lock the doors.
The devil is real. If you want, go ahead and read that sentence again, I will wait. I will also retype it if you do not want to reread it: The devil is real. 1 John 3:8 states, “for the devil has sinned from the beginning.” He was made holy like the other angels, he introduced sin into the universe, and that he has continued to practice it ever since, for he not only sinned by rebelling against God himself, but also by tempting man, to sin against God. He did not commit one act of sin and then reform; but he has continued, and still continues, his course of sin. The devil tempted Adam and Eve into sin. He attempted to tempt Jesus into sin. He continues to lead humanity into sin.
Do not let your guard down for a second. There is another adversary in the world. He is the devil. He will seek to destroy you. When people do not acknowledge the existence of the devil, his work becomes much easier. Be on the alert, be ever vigilant, be ever prayerful. The devil exists, and he wants you to believe he does not.