Dare to Win!

BE SOBER MINDED!

Paul lists several things in the second chapter of the book of Titus that wil adorn the gospel.

I am not going to instruct you in all of those areas that he mentions. But there is one particular principle with which I want to deal. We will read verse six again; : “Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.”

You realize that Paul directed this to the young men, but I believe that if God wants young men to be sober minded, then it is pleasing to Him that old men be sober minded as well.

And if He wants old men to be sober minded, then surely He wants old women and young women to also be sober minded. As you read that entire chapter, you can see that some of the things do not apply to me, and they obviously cannot fit you. How can I obey my husband? I don’t have one! Some of themdo not aply to every individual, but some of them overlap one another. Therefore, if God wants the one person to be sober minded. He wants you to be sober minded.

What is being Sober Minded?

The center cross-reference in my Bible says that to be sober minded is to be discreet.  I have spent some time studying this subject in other translations of the Bible, and I believe that Paul is saying that  to be sober minded is to have a right mental attitude. He is saying that a right mental attitude is one of the things that adorns (beautifies) the Gospel.

Failing to have a right mental attitude is another reason that the Worldhasn’t wanted to have anything with Christians. Most Christians mental attitude about life has been Negative. They have had such a poor, low mental attitude about life that sinners can see nothing in them that is desirable. Many Christians portray this idea: “If I just bear up under thoese problems like a good soldier, that will impress somebody.” NO! That doesn’t impress anybody. It is when you become a “good little soldier” and Overcome the Circumstances that come against you that it is Impressive!

Sinners bear up under circumstances. I know some very strong-willed sinners. They have learned how to become strong-willed where their businesses are concerned. They couldn’t care less if you are just bearing up under the problem. And if you say, :“One of these days it will be worth it all. It will be better on the pother side,”  that doesn’t impress the sinner. Some have this excuse: “We brought nothing into the world and we’ll take nothing with us when we die.” To me, this is a Big Excuse for Mediocre Living. We all know that we not going to take anything with us, but we not to use this excuse I not doing and accomplishing what God has called us to do and build, because it didn’t start with us and it doesn’t finish with us. This kind of meantality does not impress the sinner.

If the Gospel will not work against problems that people encounter Today, then they are not interested in it.

Yes, I am excited about going to heaven, but that is not all the gospel provides. I still have to live on the Earth in this life time. And if the Gospel canot provide a way to live above the beggarly elemnts of this world and a way to live above the trials and problems that man experiences, then I am not really too interested in the sweet-by-and-by. I’m sure you feel the same way.

I not saying that we should belittle heaven. I thank God for heaven and for the ability to spend eternity with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but Let’s not get so heavenly minded that we forget about our responsibilities on earth.

When a sinnner can look at a Christian and see that he has a right menatal attitude about life, about adversity, about circumstances, about trials, and about lack and shortages, then the Gospel will look attractive to him.

LET US HAVE THIS ATTITUDE TOWARDS LIFE, BECAUSE THEN AND ONLY THEN, WILL WE HAVE THE ATTENTION OF THE SINNERS OF THIS WORLD. THEY WILL LOOK AND SAY, SURELY THESE PEOPLE HAVE SOMETHING THAT IS REAL, BECAUSE THEIR ATTITUDE IS ONE OF A WINNER AND NOT A LOOSER.

This way, we are Beautifying the Gospel of Christ!

I look forward to share more tips and keys in developing a Right Mental Attitude, The Attitude of a Winner and a Overcomer.