Monday Morning Devotion-March 6, 2023
About that Attitude
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had. Romans 15:5 NIV
Your attitude! Is that something you give much thought to? Has anybody ever said to you: “ I can see you have a bad attitude about that?” Or perhaps you have thought some person that you encountered needs an attitude adjustment.
One dictionary definition of attitude is: “a settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something, typically one that is reflected in a person’s behavior.”
Clint Purvis got me thinking about the importance of a proper attitude recently. First let me introduce you to Clint who is a remarkable person. He is one of the most selfless persons I have met.
Clint has impacted many lives in his role as Team Chaplain for Florida State University. Ask almost any Seminole athlete to tell you about Clint Purvis, especially a football player, and watch his or her face take on a pleasant look. Hardly a player has come through the program without knowing or having been affected by the unselfish works of Clint Purvis. Long after they have graduated from the university athletes remember lessons or experiences learned from Purvis.
A recent example, and one that got me thinking about the importance of having a good sound attitude about things in life, is a story shared by Clint on Facebook recently.
Terrell Buckley, or T-Buck as Clint refers to him was an outstanding defensive back and special teams player at Florida State (1989-91) who was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame (2019). From FSU he went on to play in the NFL for 13 seasons on seven different teams.
Now to get to the point of why this devotion is important to you and me, T-Buck was recently hired as head coach of the Orlando Guardians of the XFL pro football league. One of his first moves was to call Clint Purvis and tell him that he “was the only one he wanted doing his team Chapels.” So, Clint being Clint, drove to Orlando (4-hour trip) to conduct a team Chapel.
Here’s a portion of what he shared with the team, and I think it’s important for us to think about in our own lives. With an assist from Dr. Charles Swindoll, Clint shared this.
“The longer I live the more I realize the impact of attitude on our life! Attitude to me is more important than facts! It is more important than the past…than education…than money…than circumstance…than failures…than successes. More than what other people think or say or do.
It is more important than appearance---giftedness---or skill. It will make or break any team, a company, a church, a home, or any organization.”
Those are powerful words. Let’s see how Clint follows up so each of us can think about the role that attitude plays in our own lives.
“The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string that we have, and this is attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it. And so it is with us---we are in charge of our attitude.”
Clint goes on to tell the team that there is a big difference between being a winner and being a champion. There are winners who are not champions. What will make you a champion will be your attitude. He goes on to point out attitudes you must possess not only to be a winner in the game of football but also in the game of life. He points out four attitudes anyone can possess that will make them a winner:
1) Attitude of Gratitude- This is the quality of being thankful---the readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. (Clint recommends showing gratitude in actions and words at least 7 times a day!!!
2) Attitude of Your Mind-As a man thinks in his heart so is he (Proverbs 23:7) Get rid of your “stinking thinking.”
3) Attitude of Your Heart-Above all else guard your heart for everything you do flows from it (Proverbs 4:23). Your heart will always determine how you compete, what you are willing to compromise and what you cherish.
4) Attitude of Sacrifice-‘Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice and is never the result of selfishness’ (Napoleon Hill). To be successful you must be willing to---at any moment—sacrifice what you are for what you can and will become. ‘I will not offer anything that cost me nothing.’ ( 2 Samuel 24:24 & 1 Chronicles 21:24)
Clint closes with these words: “With the right attitude the victory in the Game of Football and the Game of Life is yours.”
Think about this message being delivered by Clint Purvis to 40 or 50 big, strong football players and coaches in a locker room. Then think about how this affects you and your family in your own home. The message is the same for all who want to be winners in life.
Prayer: Lord as we begin each new day help us to first be aware of how our attitudes will affect our life and the lives of others that we come in contact with. Amen!