Minute Meditations

There is a one-armed golfer whose score is often in the 70’s. When asked how he could play so well with only one arm, he replied, ”I have learned that a good mental attitude and one arm is better than a bad mental attitude and two arms.”

This is not only true of golf but of life. We often hear about those who have overcome great obstacles to excel in sports or business.

Jesus tells us that the ”children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.” This means that the children of this world are often wiser than Christadelphians in overcoming problems to excel in their chosen endeavors.

We are not concerned with golf scores, but we should learn the lesson the one-armed golfer taught us: a good mental attitude is imperative if we are to succeed in our walk to the kingdom.

Of all the people in the world, we should have the best mental attitude for we have the scriptures to guide us into godly thinking.

It is the Lord Jesus himself who tells us that ”he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations.”

God in His wisdom gives us things to overcome. It is impossible to overcome if there is nothing to overcome. A high hurdler has to have some hurdles to jump over in order to win. A good tennis player needs someone on the other side of the net to hit the ball back, at least sometimes. A golfer needs sand traps, the rough and water hazards to challenge his ability to hit over, or around or through them.

It is not the challenges that make or break us. It is our attitude toward them. Paul exhorted us to have a good mental attitude toward the trials and tribulations that come our way.

He certainly was an example to us. He had a ”thorn in the flesh” and three times he asked God to remove it but God’s answer was, ”My grace is sufficient for thee.” Have we ever thought that God’s grace is sufficient for us too? Let us learn from Paul’s good mental attitude concerning his affliction. He said, ”Most gladly will I rather glory in my infirmities.” Do we? Paul went on to say, ”I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

This is the good attitude that God is looking for in us as well. We all have some infirmities and distresses. How do we react to them?

Can we say with Paul, ”I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content?” Notice that Paul had to learn this. It does not come automatically. We need to learn to have a good mental attitude, too. We learn from Paul’s example as well as all the faithful in every generation. Paul tells us, ”Those things which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”

Yes, we have learned that a ”good mental attitude and one arm is better than a bad mental attitude and two arms.” Because we know this, we can join with Paul in saying, ”I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”