Video Transcript: Be a Person of Perspective

Welcome back to the mini course how to have a great attitude. So I'm a golfer.  And one thing you need in golf is a great attitude. Now for Christianity, to use the metaphor of golf. For Christianity, the walk of golf, is considered the walk of faith  that is, in Jesus Christ, you've been born again. You're raised from the dead in  Christ Jesus, the gospel has changed your life in the sense that puts you onto  the Christian playing field to use the metaphor. But in golf, just like Christianity,  just like a walk of faith, we live every day, we, every day are making different  shots. That is, each day we're making choices and different things confront us in the fact is that as born again, people, we still have a sinful nature. And a lot of  stuff happens. Figuratively speaking or with the metaphor, the ball goes out of  bounds, the ball goes in the water, the putt doesn't drop and things don't always  go well. And it's these times that it can be very difficult. And in golf, what I call  myself, when I hit it out of bounds too much as such, I can't believe it, and I, I  couldn't get, I use things like self loathing. Now, I feel so bad and why it's only a  game. But that's how it is. Life is like that, too. You know what I mean? It's like,  you do wrong and then you confess and do wrong again, or this happens and or something out of your control happens in golf that happens so often, where you  hit a wonderful shot, shot. And there's one little branch I mean, thinnest little  branch, it doesn't go above it, it doesn't go below it is hits the branch and the  ball goes right down. So how do you keep a great attitude, when life is  constantly coming your way. And there is a lot of life that can come our way  everything from our own sin, to the sins of others, to spiritual warfare to God as  our Father, disciplining us a little bit, and keeping us humble to the thorns in the  flesh, that the apostle Paul talks about that when we are weak than we are  strong. So here we have it, and how do we connect with a great attitude, when  we're just trying to go through the 9 or 18 holes in keep a great attitude, despite  the fact many negative things are coming? Well, in golf, you can also often  become a headcase where you start worrying about your next shot, like you  don't even want to take it because you're fearing everything that can happen.  What works for me in golf and metaphorically, is very helpful in keeping in great  attitude is to be a person of perspective of keeping, stay positive, by keeping  perspective, Ecclesiastes 1:14, I have seen all the things that are done under  the sun, all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind. So the  Ecclesiastes, writer, the face to life, and, and looked at options and in fact, it  says he denied himself no pleasure. And sometimes we wonder why is that in  the Bible. I believe it's in the Bible, inspired by the Holy Spirit to be there to help  us see our frame and to not take things so seriously, that our lives are caught up in those things. Now, one of the things that Professor Elzinga and I have talked  about in our friendship, our Christian friendship for many years, is no matter  what happens, Lord, does this really matter in 50 years? Or was the thing that  happened or this challenge, something that I can grow through and grow in? It's  the perspective question, Does this really matter? Ecclesiastes 3:1. There is a 

time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven, a time to be  born and a time to die. perspective, you're here you are but a mist. Is whatever  is happening to me in the big picture. What does it matter if two things are true  for me, I know Jesus Christ, I, my sins are forgiven. He has poured out His Holy  Spirit in me right now, in this life right now. The dead are raised Christ Jesus  rose from the dead. Those are foundational truths. You know, trust the positive  providence of God, that God has a plan for all of this. And just always keep in  mind this truth. Back to that truth in 30 years, will this problem or situation really  make that much of a difference? You know, back to golf. You know, I think about  you know, when I play golf, I just, I really liked my game. And, and I just know  that I have to see that this is a complete opportunity that the Lord has given me  and it doesn't really matter. That no matter how if I'm trying to in golf they have  what's called like a birdie putt. And that's like, doing better on one hole than  ever. So we'll miss the birdie putt and in the big picture of everything really  matter is it that important? Now, it's fascinating how relaxed you can become  when you just don't see it as that important. So what is important? Many things  will come your way, what really is important. To have a perspective, and to live a  life as I Peter 4:8 says, above all, love each other deeply. Because love covers  over a multitude of a multitude of sins. To get perspective, is to realize that not  everything is going to go your way. But as things come your way, to love deeply,  to love others. And to realize that we're all in this, quote, game of life together.  We all will have trials and tribulations. And some of you will have trials and  tribulations that I cannot imagine. In fact, even talking about a golf metaphor  could cheapen it feels like you don't know pastor what I'm going through. It could feel like it's cheapened your journey. As you live in this situation. You don't know  my situation, you know? And you're right. But I know the principle is the same.  That whatever has happened to you to cultivate a great perspective on it a wise  perspective. You know, Viktor Frankl shared about what it was like to go through  the Holocaust and to be in the camps. And he talked about how perspective  made all the difference. And he was a philosopher. So to cultivate, that is this  really that important attitude? Makes you get less serious about taking your life  and saying that I my life matters so much. And in Yeah, in God's eyes, your life  matters enough that Jesus would die on the cross and that you are raised from  the dead. But there is something about gaining perspective that changes  everything for you. So have a little part of you. That's like the Ecclesiastes,  writer, Vanity, vanity. Have a little part of you. That doesn't take the game too  seriously. And even when negative things happen your way, have an attitude  that sort of sees it in the big picture. That is a powerful way to cultivate a great  attitude.