The Law Of The Garbage Truck

HoHum:

David Pollay- One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started to yell at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. So I asked, “Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!” This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, “The Law of the Garbage Truck.” He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piled up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they’ll dump it on you. Don’t take it personally. Just smile, wish them well, and move on. Don’t take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets. The truth is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day.

WBTU:

Philippians 4:8- Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable- if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy- dwell on these things.

Speaking of garbage trucks, we need to stop all of this stinkin thinkin. This phrase stinkin thinkin originated in AA as a way to describe thinking that would likely lead a person back to drinking. Over time, the phrase came to be used to describe any number of self destructive thought processes. One such thought pattern is discounting the positive. We tend to ignore positives and focus exclusively on negatives- negative bias in thinking. Not that everything is good, but Christians should be the most positive people on the earth. Pessimism is an act of unbelief. “And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.” Hebrews 3:18, 19, NIV. See this most clearly when the Israelites came to Promised Land and Moses sent out the 12 spies. “But the men who had gone up with him (Caleb) said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size.” Numbers 13:31, 32. Unbelief in themselves and God.

Thesis: What can we do to maintain a positive outlook? These 4 beliefs will help us

For instances:

I. Be a believer in our country

I avoid many of the political TV shows. Always focused on the negative. Listen to some people and think we are going down today. Jack McCall said this past July 4th- On this the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence I am moved to write of my love for our homeland, the United States of America. “The United States of America”- just to utter those 5 words causes my heart to swell with pride. For 244 years we have endured as the United States of America. Through trials and hardships, through civil war, through the “Cold War,” through military conflicts, against enemies from without and against enemies from within; among all the other nations of the world, the United States of America remains freedom’s brightest hope. I love America because of the goodness of its people. Born in freedom, I have grown up and I have lived among the finest the world has to offer. Generations shaped by the Judeo- Christian work ethic yielded a population of generous, honest, hard working, dedicated men and women who loved their families, their neighbors and their country. I love America because Americans are the first to respond whenever and wherever disaster strikes in the world. Whether is be an earthquake, a typhoon, a hurricane, famine or tsunami, the United States of America arrives first with the most. Let it be noted those who condemn America for her excesses and seek to destroy our freedom have spent precious little time and effort to relieve the suffering of other peoples in the world. I love America because, under her umbrella of freedom, millions have been afforded the opportunity to become who God meant for them to be, flowering within our great free enterprise system. I love America because God’s hand has been upon her from the beginning. As we celebrate our independence may this be our prayer: Long may our land be bright with freedom’s holy light, Protect us by thy might, Great God, our King!” (https://www.lebanondemocrat.com/hartsville/jack-mccall-why-i-love-the-usa/article_3e2d67cf-b7af-5c2a-8357-8d3ad626f158.html) “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD” Psalms 33:12, NIV. Maybe not the best but very blessed!