2010: Living With The Right Attitude!

Introduction:

The place: Dublin, Ireland. The time: Toward the end of the nineteenth century. The event: A series of blistering attacks on Christianity, especially the "alleged resurrection" of Jesus of Nazareth. The person: Thomas Henry Huxley. You remember Huxley? He was a devoted disciple of Charles Darwin. Sir Huxley, a famous biologist, teacher, author, defender of the theory of evolution, bold, convincing self-avowed humanist, and a traveling lecturer.

Having finished another series of public assaults against several truths Christians held sacred, Huxley was in a hurry the following morning to catch his train to the next city. He took one of Dublin’s famous horse-drawn taxis and settled back with his eyes closed to rest himself for a few minutes. He assumed the driver had been told the destination by the hotel doorman, so all he said as he got in was, "Hurry . . . I’m almost late. Drive fast!" The horses lurched forward and galloped across Dublin at a vigorous pace. Before long Huxley glanced out the window and frowned as he realized they were going west, away from the sun, not toward it. Leaning forward, the scholar shouted, "Do you know where you are going?" Without looking back, the driver yelled a classic line, not meant to be humorous, "No, your honor! But I’m driving very fast!" (sermoncentral.com)

Often we are like Huxley. Driven. Passionate. Bold to pursue our own unproven personal convictions. We live in a fast-paced world. We want to go to places as fast as light’s speed. Power jets, turbo-charged engines, quick-fix, few minutes’ pizza, and the like are the trends of the modern world. But where are we going? There’s one thing I know for sure – our bodies back to dust, and our souls back to God, for our time of reckoning.

Proposition:

As we face this year, 2010, we need the right attitudes! One writer articulates, "Our Attitude, not our Aptitude, determines our Altitude". A few of them that I can suggest:

1. Let Go of the past Completely!

2. Let’s Grab on the Present Consistently!

3. Let God in the Future Confidently!

1. Let Go of the Past, Completely!

"…Forgetting what is behind…"

There are invaluable jewels of life that we should keep cherishing – our blessings. It’s uplifting to count them one by one, as the hymn strikes the wholesome notes in our souls. But there are trifling things that are worth forgetting:

a. Leave your Resentments behind.

Definitely, we were somewhat offended, in the same way that we have offended any one. Hurts are a part of our Christian curriculum. But leave them behind. Learn from them. People are imperfect beings.

b. Leave your Worries behind.

There will always be unfinished business, unsettled issues, uncertain undertakings and unmet needs. Worrying won’t reduce the weight of our concocted problems. Worry will never boil down the mess; in fact, it will only alchemize them to complications.

c. Leave your Failures behind.

Believe me, every human being failed, sometimes often, in the course of his or her life. That’s common to everyone - failure. But the eerie image of failure shines a sleek beauty when we learn from them.

Don’t get shackled by your past. We’ve passed from the borders of resentments, worries and failures. Be free as a bird to face the New Year. Chances are, there will be similar, probably more horrible than our past problems, this year. Let go of your past, completely.

2. Let’s Grab on the Present, Consistently!

"…straining towards what is ahead…"

Straining entails efforts, not in the past or in the future, but now. Yes, now. "Opportunity knocks but once", they say. I agree. There are several things that we need not undervalue:

a. Our Time is limited.

Time is one thing that all people were given fairly and equally well. No person on earth is lavishly given more than 24 hours a day. We all have equal time, and we need to make use of it wisely. We all have a divinely-appointed time to depart from this earth. And we don’t know when that time will be. Make the most of your time.

b. Our Talents are limited.

Every individual has his or her unique trade. Others were given more capabilities than other have. Talents and skills could have been earned by sheer hard work in training or a especially God-given, we call it gift, but they are but the same talents. Talents, skills and abilities are lent to us by God, temporarily. One day, we will all be held accountable. Use your talents the best you could, for God’s glory and in the best interests of people.

c. Our Treasures are limited.

You may have a little or a lot in your hands today, but if you are not careful, they can be out of your hands tomorrow. The purpose of treasures that God gave us is not to hoard, rather, to harness. At the end of our life, what people talk about is not how much we have kept for ourselves, but how much we have shared to others. That’s how people remember us.