Rev. E. Anderson
The Right Attitude
Written by Brian Roles
When we were moving to Swansea we had to look for a removal firm. The first was a small family firm and the owner came to see us to provide a quote. His first words were, “Let’s get some things straight from the outset so that we don’t fall out. My lads move things. They are not builders; they are not plumbers; they are not electricians; they don’t climb ladders; they don’t go into attics; they don’t take down satellite dishes (we didn’t have one incidentally).” He then proceeded with a detailed assessment of the contents to be moved “using his years of experience in the trade”. This was certainly clear as he astutely asked us, “Is this a bungalow?” However, the best was still to come. When he saw the garage with all my power tools, lawnmower and other garden and DIY tools and gadgets, he helpfully advised that I should “get rid of most of this - it doesn’t stack very easily on the van.”
Needless to say he didn’t get the job! He saw everything as a problem rather than a challenge to overcome. We wanted to be reassured that this stressful part of moving home would at least be sorted. Fortunately the next firm was the total opposite. Nothing was too difficult for them and we were repeatedly reassured that we could, “leave that to us - you have enough to concern yourselves with.” What was the difference? Our furniture was the same. It was simply a difference in attitude and it reminded me of a couple of quotes that I had seen on management training posters.
“Attitude is a small thing that makes a great difference” and “Attitude almost always determines our attitude in life.”
The same can be true of our church fellowship. Many Christian believers are experts in seeing why something won’t work, the obstacles that will prevent it, or why we should not be doing it or working in partnership with another church fellowship or Christian organization. They will point out that they tried it twenty years earlier and it didn’t work then.
How we need to learn to see the world through God’s eyes. Is there anything that we cannot achieve with the help of God? We need to see obstacles as challenges to be faced and overcome, focusing on the greatness of God and not the size of the problems. We frequently say, “All things are possible with God” but do we really believe this? What is the true level of our expectancy?
Of course we need to recognize the need and be realistic in terms of the problems that need to be overcome but we must not stop there or ignore part of the task because it looks difficult. We need to see the priority of the task - if it needs doing then we need to find a way. We need to see the opportunities as well as the obstacles - when moving house some things can be packed inside others for protection or to save space. Perhaps we need to seek help whether it is by way of guidance, prayer or resources. And we need to persevere through the trials and difficulties to see the task through to completion. There is no plan B in terms of the Great Commission and the need to reach a lost world for Christ. We are God’s strategy and we need to find a way to complete the task.
I recall hearing the experiencing of a minister who was attending another fellowship which was experiencing tremendous blessing at that time. As he sat waiting for the service to begin, wondering what was so different about this fellowship, he overheard two elderly ladies talking. One of the ladies said, “I wonder what God is going to do today”. Their level of expectancy was high and if God had not worked powerfully in that meeting they would have been desperately disappointed.
Consider Nehemiah standing before King Artaxerxes (Nehemiah 2:4-5) and being asked, “What is it you want?” What would you have asked for? Or think about the widow in 2 Kings 4: !-7. Elisha challenged her to focus not on what she lacked but what she had - “a little oil”. Then he told her to ask all her neighbours for empty jars. How many would you have collected?
I wonder how much more could be achieved if we truly believed the promises of God.
