Maranatha Athletic Director Brian DeHaan shares a devotion close to his heart.

PRE-GAME REFLECTION “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company… a church… a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you… we are in charge of our Attitudes.” – Charles R. Swindoll“We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”  – Viktor E. Frankl

GAME TIME:  Read Genesis, Chapters 45-50What are your circumstances and do they control your attitude? Or does your attitude control your circumstances? In athletics, the focus is often centered on the final score. But how do we control our attitude through the peaks and valleys of wins and losses?  Better yet, how do we control our attitude through the wins and losses in our personal lives?  God’s word provides a template for centering our attitudes in Christ along with countless examples of human beings who have both won and lost in the attitude column.In Genesis 45-50, the reader comes upon the life of Joseph who endured incredible hardships and received what many would deem the short end of the stick. In using Joseph’s life as an example, we find that God’s plan truly trumps all circumstances.  When one’s focus remains on God, we can see all of life’s challenges as opportunities to grow as Christ’s plan is fulfilled through us. As we accept our life, we can fulfill our calling by using the lessons that are learned to love others. This is our call—to love.

OVERTIME: 

1. Look back on your life and write down three things that were negative at the time they happened.
2. Now look at those same experiences and write down three things that you learned, became, or used because of those experiences.
3. If time permits, create a timeline of your life with major life experiences that happened along the way.  Start with birth and document the life journey that God has navigated with you.
4. Attitude determines the ultimate outcome. Remember, only you control your attitude; center yourself on Christ.
5. I invite you to join me in praying that all of us in the Maranatha community would center our attitudes on Christ and be able to see life’s challenges as opportunities to grow as Christ’s plan is fulfilled through us.

We covet your prayers over the following areas this month.

• We thank God for the thousands of alumni and parents of alumni in our extended Maranatha community. Please join us in praying that we would have rich times of community and celebration as they gather for the Moms’ Dinner, reunions, Alumni Flag Football Game, and Homecoming.
• Please join us in prayer for the hundreds of alumni who are serving as pastors and ministers around the globe. Pray that the Holy Spirit would be powerfully moving in their ministries, and that God would use their ministries to bring the love of Jesus into their congregations and communities.
• Please join us in prayer for the Men’s Retreat taking place on October 31 through November 2. Pray for the fathers and students attending as they explore God’s story for their lives and those around them.
• Pray for seven of our student performers as they tackle one of the most challenging musical works ever written for Broadway, “Songs For A New World,” on October 16 through 18. Pray that they can perform with excellence and to the glory of our Lord.