Perspective is basically the way you look at things. It is the appearance of something relative to something else. Perspective is quite finicky and can change based on your mood, position in life or even the attitudes of those around you.
Perhaps the most important thing to remember about perspective is how powerful it is. It shapes us and determines the outcome of situations we face in life. Perspective is the one thing that most influences the decisions we make. From one perspective a situation may look like a problem. Change perspectives and that problem then looks like an opportunity.
The next time you make a decision ask yourself this question: what perspective am I approaching this from. I have come to appreciate more and more those things and those people in my life than can give me a different perspective on a matter. It is really amazing how differently things look just by changing viewpoints (i.e. perspectives).
Recently I was feeling a little beat down about the busyness of things going on in my life and, quite honestly, came to enjoy some self pity. Then I thought about a friend of mine who has end-stage cancer. He is receiving the most powerful chemo and radiation treatments available. Yet he continues to serve other people, encourage other people and go about his daily tasks. They gave him a week to live. That was over a month ago and two weeks ago he did a bible study at his church on a Wednesday night. When I looked at my situation from his perspective...I was doing pretty good. Perspective matters.
Consider these three verses from the Bible:
Hebrews 12:1-3 (NLT)
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.
Verse 1 is the place I want to be: stripped off of everything that slows me down and free from the things that trip me up so that I can be faithful to the end with what God wants me to do. That's awesome and there's probably not a person in the world that doesn't want to be in that same spot...but sometimes it seems impossible.
The great thing about the Bible is that it answers every question that it poses. The Bible shows us how to do that in verse 2: keep your eyes of Jesus. Simply put, change your perspective.
Take a few moments today and read these three verses again. Ask the Holy Spirit to change your perspective. Perhaps there are some things you have been looking at incorrectly. It will be amazing how much things will change in your life today, just by simply allowing God to alter your perspective.
It's all about perspective!!!
