As his parents watched from the patio, a little boy played baseball by himself in the back yard. Of course this amounted to tossing a ball into the air and attempting to hit it with his bat. As he did so he proclaimed to no one in particular, "I’m the greatest hitter in the world!" Unfortunately, he missed the ball and, since he was the umpire too, regretfully announced, "Strike one." Undaunted the little fellow picked up the ball, threw it back into the air and said, "I’m the greatest baseball hitter ever!" With even greater intensity he swung the bat but all he caught was air for his efforts. "Strike two," he said. The boy paused a moment, examined the bat and ball carefully, and then for a third time threw the ball into the air. "I’m the greatest hitter in the history of baseball," he said. This time he swung for all he was worth, but just like the other two attempts, he missed. "Strike three," he mumbled. Then the boy sat for a moment considering what had just happened. After a minute or so, he turned to his parents and much to their surprise said, "Wow, I just struck out the greatest hitter in the world! I must be the greatest pitcher of all time."
That boy had a wonderful attitude, didn’t he? In fact, it was a winning attitude. Instead of becoming frustrated or discouraged with himself, he focused on his strengths in a different area. Someone once said that “Attitude is everything!” We’ll, it might not be everything, but in terms of affecting our outlook, our self-esteem, and our potential to be what God made us to be, attitude is like the rudder of a boat that will steer us either to success or failure. Howard Strickland, a Church of God pastor in Georgia, says “The people I have observed who succeed in life are not necessarily the ones with the most talent, highest education, or best job. The people who succeed in life are those who learn to control their thoughts and emotions and harness them under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. The fact is many in the army of God suffer from what I call stinking thinking. Their minds are like concrete-thoroughly mixed up and firmly set.”
The Bible teaches us that we do not have to think the way others think, or accept the negative view that others may have of us. We do not have to accept this “stinking thinking” for ourselves. Paul tells us Romans 12:2 how we can have a winning attitude: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Renewing the mind affects our attitude and outlook. This happens when we are transformed by the power of salvation given to us by the grace of God as we place our faith in Jesus Christ. Because we have an eternal destiny secured for heaven, it affects our whole outlook here on earth. Suddenly, the things we were wrapped up in here on earth that we thought were so important no longer seem so important. Because Christ gives us a greater meaning to our existence, our hearts become filled with joy. A new power surges from within that gives us a desire that we never knew we had before. This is that transformation- making ourselves into what we never knew we could be.
If our minds are like concrete- thoroughly set, the Holy Spirit gives us dynamite to blow all that stuff away. Why not allow the Holy Spirit to renew your mind? The attitude that you change today will affect your life tomorrow.
Have a blessed day!
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