A thought by John C. Maxwell from his
book, How High Will You Climb? (p. 22).
Harpers Collins Leadership Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to
Amazon.com to buy the book.)
How we start goes a long way to
determine how we finish.
John says, “Coaches understand the
importance of their teams having the right attitude before facing a tough
opponent. Surgeons want to see their patients mentally prepared before going
into surgery. Job-seekers know that their prospective employers are looking for
more than just skills when they apply for work. Why? Because the right attitude, in the beginning, ensures success at the end. You are acquainted with the saying
‘All’s well that ends well.’ An equal truth is ‘All’s well that begins well.’”
John continues, “One of the key
principles I taught when leading evangelism conferences was the importance of
our attitude when witnessing to others. Many times, it is the way we present
the gospel rather than the gospel itself that offends people. Two people can
share the same news with the same person and receive different results. Why?
Usually, the difference is the attitude of the person sharing. The eager witness
says to himself, ‘People are hungry for the gospel and desirous of a positive
change in their lives.’ The reluctant witness says to himself, ‘People are not
interested in spiritual things and don’t want to be bothered.’ These two
attitudes will not only determine the number of attempts made in witnessing (can
you guess which one will witness more often?) but also the results if they both
share the same faith.
“Most projects fail or succeed before
they begin.”
“He goes on, “A young mountain climber
and an experienced guide were ascending a high peak in the Sierras. Early one
morning the young climber was suddenly awakened by a tremendous cracking sound.
“He was convinced that the end of the
world had come. The guide responded, ‘It’s not the end of the world, just the
dawning of a new day.’ As the sun rose, it was merely hitting the ice and
causing it to melt.
“Many times, we have been guilty of
viewing our future challenges as the sunset of life rather than the sunrise of
a bright, new opportunity.”
Will you view your future challenges as
the sunrise of a bright, opportunity?
Will you?
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