By Dr. John Ed Mathison
Executive Director
John Ed Mathison Leadership Ministries
What do we see when we look at things? We can see the best in that situation, or we can see the worst. I believe my attitude toward the situation is more important than the reality of the situation itself. (Tweet this)
There is a story of the seven-year old boy who was getting ready for the Little League baseball season. He had his uniform, his baseball cap and bat and ball. He decided to practice a little bit in the back yard.
His daddy heard him saying to himself, “I’m the greatest home-run hitter that ever was.” He then tossed the ball in the air, swung his bat wildly and missed. The boy called out, “Strike one!” That didn’t seem to faze him. He picked up the ball again and boasted, “I’m the greatest home-run hitter in the world.” He took another swing and missed again. “Strike two!” he cried out. At this point, he paused and examined his bat very carefully. He readjusted his stance and a third time he threw the ball into the air saying, “I’m the greatest home-run hitter that ever lived!” He swung again and missed a third time. The little fellow cried out, “Strike three!” Rather than feel defeated, he saw the best in that situation. His daddy smiled when he heard him say – “What a pitcher! I’m the greatest pitcher that ever lived!”
What we see in a situation is our choice. It was reported that Oliver Wendell Holmes once attended a meeting in which he was the shortest man present. A man quipped, “Doctor Holmes, I should think you’d feel rather small among us big fellows.” Holmes replied, “I do. I feel like a dime among a lot of pennies.”
The best attitude is to look for the best in every situation. There’s a story about a two-engine train that was traveling across America. When it came to the Western mountains, one of the engines broke down. One of the engineers said, “No problem. We can make it to Denver and get a replacement engine there.” They carried on at half-power. A little later the other engine broke down, and the train came to a stand-still in the middle of nowhere.
The passengers were somewhat confused and scared. The engineer needed to address the situation. He had a great attitude and made the following announcement – “Ladies and gentlemen, I have bad news and good news. The bad news is that both engines have failed. We will be stuck here for some time until the replacement engines arrive. The good news is that you weren’t making this trip in an airplane!”
Jesus always saw the best in every situation. When other people saw problems, He saw possibilities. When an important citizen, Jairus, wanted Jesus to look after his very ill daughter, everybody looked at the situation and saw the very worst. The child was dead. It was a hopeless case. Jesus looked at the same situation and saw the possibility of a young girl who could be alive. The people laughed at Him, but He took her hand and said, “Get up. The girl is not dead. She is just asleep.” The girl got up. She started playing. Jesus told them to give her something to eat. Read Luke 8:40-56.
Try practicing each day looking for the best in every situation you encounter. Remember – all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28). God loves to help us change our attitude. A Godly attitude will help create Awesomeness, Accountability, Availability, Authenticity, Authority, Action, Acceptance and Altitude. In the school of life, a Godly attitude gets an A+!!
How do you look at things?
John Ed’s blog posts appear each week in For His Glory.
Contact: JAM Executive Suite 4,4131 Carmichael Road, Montgomery, AL 36106 Phone: 334-270-2149 Email:info@johnedmathison.org
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