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By Rev. Don Rivers
It is that time of year where we take a few weeks and look at a specific passage of scripture and dig in. For our Winter Bible Study this year we will be looking at Romans 12; Dedicated Service, Living for God. I encourage you to grab your Bible and join us. If you need one let us know and we will get you one. We are exploring the adjustments we need to make to serve our Lord in a way that honors Him. How has our attitude affected those around us? Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
We jumped right in and learned that as we live we need to live differently. We read the words to describe the life we should live; holy and sacrifice. Live a life that is set apart, different. A life that puts the consideration of others above our own, sacrifice. The writer reminds us that we are accountable to God. This life he talks about must be acceptable to God.
We then learned that we not only need to live differently, we need to think differently. God is the only one who can transform the way we think. We don’t see or understand all things. Only God has a complete picture and if we allow him to, He will guide us, He will transform us.
God promises we will have what we need. He will not guide us in a direction He hasn’t already equipped us for. He will provide the faith and knowledge we need to walk the path He has prepared for us. Don’t buy into the lie that we know it all.
We add the concept of teamwork to our understanding. In the same way as knowledge and the fact that we don’t know everything helps us learn to let God guide us; the reality that we cannot do everything ourselves prompts us to let others join us on the journey.
When we do what God has called us to do and equipped us to do then and only then do we feel like we fit. God prepared each of us to have a certain spot on His team. He equips us to accomplish the task He prepared for us. He offers us the satisfaction and fulfilment that comes from being in His will. The blessing of God is realized when we are in the place that God wants us, not the place we think we want to be.
The challenge for us is that our attitude matters. We don’t always understand that we choose the attitude we face the day with. While the circumstances that surround us can sway us one way or the other we decide how we face the day. Will we look at the things that have been provided for us and be grateful? Maybe we will only see the things we don’t have and be resentful. Maybe we are somewhere in between.
Romans 12:9-13; NLT; Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. 11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. 12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. 13 When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.
Attitude is a funny thing, there are so many ways we can process the activities and circumstances of life. Perspective and interpretation lead us to how we are going to act. We don’t always feel like acting in a way that honors God.
On Saturday there was an incident at the track and a driver was transported to the hospital. His condition required further medical attention. Because of the incident he will have to alter his schedule and activities for the next few months. Now we can process that a few different ways.
The grateful heart recognizes it could have been much worse and is thankful the outcome wasn’t more devastating. The safety equipment functioned properly and the hand of God kept the driver safe.
The other perspective looks at the car that needs to be rebuilt, the time lost in recovery and all the alterations to the next few months this incident caused.
As we learned last week, God has this and will walk with us through it. We really do not have the capacity to figure out why and how come. We need to trust that God has us and in the event of unforeseen circumstances He is still with us.
As we look at this passage we receive some guidance to what the right attitude looks like. First, don’t be lazy. Having the right attitude is work, you can’t fake it. Put aside what is wrong and cling to what is good. Be genuine with the thought of honoring each other. That attitude will change things.
We can get caught up in the toxic environment of pointing fingers, tearing things down, cutting up on each other, but that doesn’t help us have the right attitude, one that honors God. The contrast is in these verses and it is hard work; serve enthusiastically, rejoice, be patient and persevere. That focus will get us through any of the challenges we face, big and small.
When we have the right attitude our focus is on the things we can do to influence the environment around us. One of the questions we need to ask ourselves is, how is my attitude affecting others?
We are going to continue our discussion on attitude next week. There are some other components to it. When we can display the right attitude on the outside, it means the Holy Spirit resides on the inside. I use this passage in my wedding ceremonies because it reminds us of how we can build the best kind of relationships with each other. Take some time this week to read it and wrestle with it. You just might find a change in attitude is required.
Romans 12:9-13; NLT; Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.
Until next time, remember God loves you and Jesus is Lord over Auto Racing! God Bless. Remember, that your prayerful support and donations helps us continue this ministry. Thank You.
