Ya Gotta Wanna!
Ya gotta wanna! If your attitude needs adjusting in order to reflect faith in Jesus Christ, you must want to change it before any change occurs. Once you choose to change, you are ready to. Then, take advantage of the opportunities all around you.
First, ask a friend to help you. We need each other for encouragement and exhortation. John Maxwell tells the story of two cows grazing in a pasture who saw a milk truck pass by. On the side of the truck were the words: “Pasteurized, homogenized, standardized, Vitamin A added.” One cow sighed and said to the other, “Makes you feel sort of inadequate, doesn’t it?” If you want to change, you need the help of a friend. Second, associate with the right people. Spend your time with those who have a proper outlook on life, not those who drag you into their negative perspective. Third, select a model to follow. Choose a godly Christian example. Make sure his life reflects his profession of a new birth in Christ. Follow someone who will stretch your walk and promote spiritual growth. Fourth, learn from your mistakes. You cannot control all circumstances. You cannot always make right decisions which bring right results. But you can always learn from your mistakes. Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. Failure is a temporary detour, not a dead-end street. A winner is big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them. Mistakes mark the road to success. He who makes no mistakes makes no progress. One reason some people never grow through change is that they can’t stand failure. A baseball player is a superstar if he hits the ball three or more times out of ten attempts. Strikeouts are part of the game. Finally, expose yourself to successful experiences. Find something you can do well and do it. Read books that will help make you a better Christian. Help someone else with your spiritual gifts.
Sin cera, Erik
Erik O. Garthe is Associate Pastor at Canton Baptist Church in Baltimore, Maryland.