CHANGING YOUR PERSPECTIVE

Do you ever question God? How about questioning the motives of others….ever done that? For the most part I think that we all do at times on both. Often times, changing our perspectives about something or someone can steer us away from the grief and burden that those questions can bring. While going in the opposite direction of what we may want is never easy, sometimes, it is a must!

Chances are you have done this before without being aware of its benefits. Think about something in your past that you were particularly embarrassed about; and when you look back months later you can laugh about it. The facts and the events have not changed but your point of view of it did. Having that different point of view can then create a different understanding; and it results in a different experience or feeling about it. If we consciously applied this concept every day in every challenge that it brings, we then could be much better judges of ourselves and others. We would also have more peace with God and less struggling over why things happen the way that they do!

Change will happen as we begin to practice doing it; changing our perspectives that is! You see basically all of us compare our own perspective to what we can see, what we can observe. If we are in a valley our sight is limited to the things that are happening on the ground. But someone who is high on top of a mountain may observe something quite different; for they have a different perspective, because their view is different than ours. If we will only take the effort to look further, to put ourselves in someone else’s position, we may see something quite different than our own experience. If we climb the mountain where they are, or they come down to the valley where we are, we both are able to understand each others point of reference or point of view…..I use that big word because I learned it in college….

I am for the most part, a person that sees things as black or white. So, the Lord has had to teach me and “still is”, I might add; to see things in color. That means that things are never black or white unless it is some great Truth from the mouth of God. No matter how terrible a situation may look from our perspective; that same situation may be the source of joy and happiness if we only knew the full picture and only knew the end result that may come from it, like the Lord does.

When a retail store goes bankrupt another one will seize the opportunity. When someone looses a friend, someone else will gain one. That co-worker may be difficult to get along with on your job but may be a terrific mother to her children. She may even be, giving you pats on the back to others behind the scene… that you are unaware of, and that is the point. It is what you are not aware of that can draw your attention or affections away and cast doubt and fear on your situations.

Because things are not always what they seem; remember that what may seem unpleasant at first may be a blessing in the long run. Unless we have the full perspective, it is always difficult to judge any situation. That’s why it is so important to pass judgment with curiosity and compassion. Once we realize the limitations of our own perspective, we can start changing it; and everyone will benefit from our change!

Even this very week the Lord showed me something that I had been struggling with as to why He allowed my work situation to change a month ago from where I was to where I now am at. In His great wisdom and kindness He had known about some news that I was going to be receiving at a later time which was also this past week….and He was behind the scenes making preparation for that change in my life. A change that I might add was a very serious one.

You see He had my best interest in mind. He knew the whole picture, what was ahead of me. All I had to do was to put my trust in a loving Father that I knew… that I could trust….and simply wait it out, until the answer that I was looking for came to pass. While I was trusting in Him, knowing that He would work it out… I had become disappointed in the fact that my situation had changed and I was unhappy with the change.

Sadly, my disappointment in the change was overshadowing my faith to trust Him. While I was saying on one hand, “I thank you Father for making another way” for me to be able to continue to work period…..I was also saying, “But I really want to be back where I was”. You see you can never go ahead with God until you let go of the past…in anything!

As I was whining (and that is exactly how God sees it) about my situation…God was working on another situation that was far worst than my current one. He was getting ready to make a way for me to change my other situation that had come up… that was more serious, by first allowing my original problem. When I realized all of that, I just wanted to shout! I wanted to beg God to forgive me for once again, not trusting His long arm to reach down and through all my situations to work them out for my best interest in and through it all. WOW….what an awesome God I live for and serve! Yep….He did it again! He made a way when there was no other way for me!

Sweet friend, you and I can change our perspective on things, we go the other direction….dare I say, that we must change on some things. Who knows, God may be trying to do something great in your current situation….but because like I had been, you are struggling with Him about it. Please be willing to let it go, and see things from His perspective….for He is trying to work things out for your good! Don’t be discouraged….know there is a bigger plan, and trust that plan no matter what!

Ti's so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His Word!
Loving you today,
Bren