One of my “family jobs” is to make everyone’s sandwich for lunches each morning. Most mornings I make four sandwiches, but one morning last week I made only three. I did so hoping that I would have the opportunity to eat something a little better than my normal PB&J for lunch on that particular day. Sure enough, almost as an answer to prayer, I had a text from a church member inviting me to lunch a little later that morning.
We met at The County Seat, and had a good time catching up with each other. I love hearing about people’s families, old stories, and how people get to where they are in life. On this particular day I heard about how my friend’s mother had such a deep influence on his life. It was a good story. But the conversation took a turn and we talked about the importance of positive attitude.
The conversation reminded me of the story in the book of Numbers when God instructed Moses to send spies into Canaan, into the Promised Land. The twelve went into the land God had promised to their ancestors, and they saw a great land, flowing with milk and honey, and clusters of grapes so big two men would have to carry them between them on a post. (I think I learned that in Sunday school). It was everything the Hebrews could have dreamed of. The spies return to give their report, and ten out of twelve suggest that there was no way they could take and occupy the land. There were only two, Joshua and Caleb, who insist that they can. All twelve looked at what God had called them to do, but only two had the faith that they could do it.
Life has not changed a lot for God’s people. It is easy to get the attitude that “we can never do that!” And that could be a lot of things. Every aspect and ministry of church life has thats. Some are big, and some are small. But these “thats” tend to reveal which group you are in: the ten, or the two.
I invite you, be one of the two.
Those two didn’t have their yes attitude because they thought the Hebrew people were so great and powerful, but because they knew that God would give them the ability to do what God had called them to do. And because of that belief, one of those two proclaimed and “I want that mountain” when we get there.
I left lunch last Thursday thinking again about my attitude, and how often I’m in the ten, and how often I’m in the two. How about you?