When you step back and take a look at life you start to realize how few things we control. We have no control over the things that happen to us. Think about how many times a race driver has said “I got caught up in someone else’s mess.” When you race you have control of the decisions you make, but there are many other drivers out there with you who are making decisions independent of yours. None of those other drivers are thinking the same thing you are. Their decisions will be what they think is most beneficial to them and the race they are running.

I have seen many races where decisions of one driver ended the day for another. I have seen a driver retaliate for an incident and end up taking out another competitor who had nothing to do with it. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He had no control over what the other two drivers were doing, but their decisions cost him and he did not finish the race. We do not have the control we think we have.

There is one thing we always have control of; we have control over how we respond to the decisions of the others. There are always two sides to every story. The truth lies somewhere in the middle. A wise person holds their tongue, and actions, until they know the whole story. 

Sometimes we respond before we figure out what really happened and make a fool of ourselves. Remember the old adage, “Put your mind in gear before you put your mouth in motion.” In the heat of the battle we forget to think first and speak later. 

Proverbs 17:28; Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.

When we think about the choices we make and how that makes us feel, we determine our attitude, our frame of mind. We always have the choice to decide how we are going to look at something. The glass can be half full or half empty. Most times our frame of mind will influence how those around us respond. Our attitude is contagious. How do we frame things, positively or negatively?

Think about how we react to difficult circumstances. How we react to challenges. How do we react when things are not going the way we thought they would? Are we able to look beyond the circumstances and into the lives of those around us? Are we able to frame things in a way that shows more concern for others than ourselves? We don’t have to let circumstance dictate our attitude.

Everyone understands our disappointment or discouragement when things aren’t going well, but when our attitude contrasts our situation people take notice. That is when people wonder what we have that they don’t.

James 1:2, Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,…

This sets the tone for the right way to deal with difficult circumstances. James says do it with joy. Now how many of us face difficulty and trials with joy? Joy is an inner peace, a confidence that God is in control and the situation we are in will benefit us. Most time we don’t. Most times we see them as bad things, things we don’t deserve. We are disappointed and discouraged. We let it show. We need to adjust our attitude. Listen as James completes his thought.

James 1:3-4, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

When we learn how to have the proper frame of mind we begin the maturing process. When we respond to challenging times properly we develop the maturity necessary to grow. 

Think back on how we responded when we were younger. We didn’t have the discernment or knowledge that we do now. Because of that we responded immaturely. 

When I look back on the way I used to act I wonder how God saw anything in me that He could use. I used to fly off the handle and shoot my mouth off before I understood the real situation. I have seen the same immaturity demonstrated in others and wonder if that was the example I used to set. How about you, how do you respond to challenging situations?

Let’s take a drive. We arrive at the stop sign and there is a car approaching from the other direction. Will they stop or won’t they? You don’t know and you can’t predict it either. Who knows what the driver is thinking or doing. Are they changing the radio station or maybe talking on a cell phone? They could be just daydreaming or thinking of something other than driving or the stop sign. What choice do we make? 

We live our life that way every day, we trust others to make the right choices. We trust others to act in a way that is beneficial for us. Most times people act contrary to that. Most times we act in our own interest and we feel somehow we have control. We don’t. 

When things happen to us because of someone else’s choice we say it was out of our control. We cannot choose for someone else, but their choice determines what happens in our life. I know of only one person who can control the choice of others if they let him, God. 

We need to set an example by first following God’s direction. As we go about doing that we should have a peace in our heart that demonstrates our trust in Him. That will help us develop maturity and perseverance. 

This week try this, relax, don’t get excited, keep a proper frame of mind. Let God have control, trust Him and see where He leads you. You will be surprised how much freedom you will have when you don’t worry about taking care of number one. You will be surprised how encouraging you can be to others.  

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.

We have covered many topics in this Winter Bible Study; the need to live differently, to live a life that is set apart, different. A life that puts the consideration of others above our own, sacrifice. We then learned 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. 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 added 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.

Attitude matters; we don’t always understand that we choose our attitude. 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? That is the external attitude. As you might expect the bar is raised significantly as we dig deeper. Our attitude is dictated by our motive, what are we really thinking. 

Romans 12:14-18; NLT; 14 Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. 15 Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!

17 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

Are we motivated to be a blessing to others? Let’s face it, the process in our mind determines who we think deserves to be treated well and who we really don’t care for. That process dictates how we treat others. I, for one, have trouble with the thought of blessing those who persecute me, let alone pray that God blesses them also. 

We just don’t think that way. Sure, God, go ahead and bless the folks I like and even the nice ones, but don’t bless the others, I want them to suffer the consequences of their actions, I want revenge. I don’t get mad, I get even. That’s how we think. Someone uses us up on the track and our instinct is to repay the favor. God says, let me, just smile and wave and if they win, go shake their hand. Wow, that is a different way to think!

We don’t have the understanding to make that judgement, only God does. Remember we discussed earlier that we don’t know it all. Well, the Scripture says;

Romans 12:19; NLT; Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,

“I will take revenge;

    I will pay them back,”

    says the Lord.

Deuteronomy 32:35; NLT; I will take revenge; I will pay them back. In due time their feet will slip. Their day of disaster will arrive, and their destiny will overtake them.’

God has it and the judgment of others need not be on our heart and mind, let God handle it. Reread the verses; Bless others, don’t curse them, be with them in their success and disappointments, live in harmony. Don’t be full of pride and think we know it all. Don’t repay evil with evil, be honorable and live at peace.

There is a lot in there that will calm our mind and give us peace. Think about not holding grudges. Think about not having to keep a record of wrongs. Think about not having to think of ways to get even. That certainly will clear a lot of space up in our minds. It will free us up to think of ways to honor God. 

The problem we have is that our trust level in God isn’t always what it needs to be. We want justice right now and we want it our way. That is not the way it works, it is God’s responsibility to handle that, He instructs us not to be bothered with it. Instead, focus on reflecting God’s character; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

We can only do that if we put our trust and faith in God to handle the wrongs that are done to us. We need to let go and let God. Easier to say then do. Pride and jealousy get in the way. If we cling to things like that we have no hope of seeing the kingdom of God. 

Next week we will finish up the Winter Bible Study and then the work starts. How will we apply what we have learned? How will we live differently? How will we put our trust and faith in God and let Him sit in the judgment seat?

Romans 12:14-18; NLT; 14 Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. 15 Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!

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.

We have all been in the situation where we couldn’t say what we really felt like saying. Whether it is an interview at the track or an encounter with fans, most times we need to measure what we say and take into account who is listening. We don’t always reveal what is in our heart. 

Jesus continued his teaching in the Sermon on the Mount with these words;

Mathew 5:27-30, “You have heard that it was said, `Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

Adultery is wrong, even thinking about it is wrong. This illustrates God’s high view of the marriage relationship. Jesus helps us to understand that when we enter into a marriage relationship it should be the only intimate relationship we have. It is not up for debate, don’t even think about it.

We all have things we think about and would really like to say but for the circumstances that surround us we don’t share it. It is rare to have a relationship where you can share your heart. The angst we feel, when we cannot really say what we want, robs us of our peace. That doesn’t mean we should just share what is in our heart, it means we have to change our heart.

Romans 12:2; NLT; Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Changing our heart means transforming our mind. Our mind, what we think, is connected to what is in our heart. We have heard; follow your heart. We learn here that our mind leads our heart. What we think is connected to what’s in our heart. We need to lead our heart in a way that will honor God.

Jesus expands this teaching that it is what is in our heart that matters. He expands this to lustful desires. Lust is a word that we have equated with sexual desires but let’s explore that word a little. Lust is defined as; a desire, yearning, a longing, a hunger, an ache, envy, thirst, an itch for something. Most of these terms describe something that overtakes us, something that is very hard to have the willpower to resist. When we allow the wrong thoughts to rule our mind, we end up sinning in our heart. Notice that Jesus makes the designation that whether in our mind, heart or actions the result is the same, we fall short of honoring God. We don’t need to follow through with actions, just allowing the thoughts in our head and desire in our heart is enough.

He has some advice for us though; remove it from your life. He explains that we are to go to great lengths to remove whatever it is in our life that causes us to sin. He said it is better to lose one part of our body than to lose our entire life. Have no doubt about it, this is serious stuff. Jesus doesn’t limit this just to adultery, his example covers anything we do that causes us to sin. We need to cut it out of our life.

Garbage in, garbage out! That’s exactly what Jesus is saying, if we allow these things in our life that are not good, then our life will be worthless. If the things we put in our minds and hearts are not good then what comes out will be bad. Don’t be fooled into thinking we can handle it, we can’t. 

Take a look at some of the video games out there. Some of the worst ones create a mindset that doesn’t value what God values, life itself. Do we think there is a connection between what people subject their minds to with these games and what they do in their lives? I do and I think we see it in the way people treat each other. We have developed a disregard for others and their lives. Remember the topic from a few weeks back; when we do not value life like God values life, we commit murder. Even when we call someone a fool.

How do we respond to things in our life that cause us to sin? Probably not the way Jesus instructs us to respond here. For some reason we think we can handle it. We think we are strong enough to resist the temptation. We think we are stronger than others. We are wrong.

What is in our heart? Soon enough it will show in the way we live our life. Are we ready to live a life that shows the love of Christ? I would encourage each of us to take note of what we allow into our mind. Take note of what we allow ourselves to think. The wrong influences and thoughts will lead to actions that will destroy our lives.

I remember a movie that helps us understand this teaching; Fireproof. It helps us to understand how important the relationship of marriage is and helps us to see how we can make it better. There is a teaching in that movie that we all need to remember; “Don’t just follow your heart, because your heart can be deceived, lead your heart to where it needs to be.” That is what Jesus teaches here, how we condition our heart matters. What we put into our heart matters, because what is in our heart will show itself in our lives.

Don’t allow things into our mind that will destroy our life. Cut them out, remove their influence. It is better to lose a part of our life than condemn ourselves to hell. Do not take these words lightly. We must watch ourselves and the things we let influence our thoughts and become what our hearts desire.

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.