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.
We must not live in the glories of our past or in the grandeur of our prospects. What is important is, NOW. Let us make the most of our time, talents, and treasures.
3. Let God in the Future, Confidently!
"I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus."
How often we reverberate the words of the unwise, "I am the master of my soul and the captain of my life". As if, our life is what we make it, period. No regard of the sovereign creator, who is the architect and author of this universe, our planet, our world, our life. Man, however intelligent and capable he can be, will sooner or later go back to where he is taken from – dust of the earth. And his soul shall cede to his maker. While we still hold this borrowed life:
a. We need to keep on trusting.
Let us keep in mind the fact that we are God’s creative workmanship. God is the architect of our human body, and it fits well to consult God first when illness attacks us. But do not forget to consult the doctors whom God gave to us as His human instruments. He owns the world and everything in it and it is plainly appropriate to implore His providence when we ran into lack. It is a question of, "to whom do you entrust your life, to yourself, your fellowman or to God?"
b. We need to keep on trading.
Man’s ever-increasing knowledge and capabilities are proofs that God gave man the authority to "subdue" and "replenish" the earth. But look to the world around you how we have misused and abused that authority. Man was meant to rule over God’s creation. It has become the contrast; God’s creation now rules mankind. Instead of making the earth replete of resources, man is gradually making the earth deplete of resources. Trade and work as you may, but remember God’s original command, "rule" over His creation and "replenish" the earth.
c. We need to keep on thanking.
Ingratitude is a pandemic that plagues the greedy and quells a thankful heart. Envy is a high-grade fuel of ingratitude. Envy does not only entail an insatiable desire to possess what other people possess. One can aim to possess what all others possess, but would commit to earn it fairly and legally – that’s not envy at all. Envy involves a miserable feeling for not having what others have. It is having one’s eyes focused on the blessings of others without even taking a glimpse of his blessings. A grateful heart is a mark of spiritual maturity.
Have you noticed? If you trust God faithfully, you will trade diligently, and then you would thank God sincerely. It all stems from your trust in God.
A very perplexing animal in Africa is the Impala. They’re not huge animals. They look more like a desert goat, or an antelope. An Impala can run so fast and jump so high – as high as ten feet off the ground. Surprisingly, once an Impala is caught, it can be caged in a four to five feet wall. Why? An Impala will never jump over a fence if it cannot first see where its feet would land on the other side. No trust, no guts, no glory.
Conclusion:
We’ve been a week into the New Year. If you are still dragging those rubbish of the past, (those resentments, worries and failures), you’ll not be fit to face the challenges of the present. Let go of the past, completely! If you are quite passive to make use of the present (your time, talents and treasures), you might find yourself licking wounds and dabbing chin, regretting for not making the best of them while you had the chance. Let’s grab on the present, consistently! If you think everything will turn out precisely as you have literally projected, take heed! Things may turn out the opposite. Or, probably, you’ve been disheartened by your circumstances and thought nothing will ever come up to your favor. God is sovereign! Keep on trusting, keep on trading, and keep on thanking God. This year will pass so quickly. It might seem quicker than the passing of the past year. But with the right attitudes, we can say…. This, indeed, is a Happy New Year!
