Perspective.
That word just grabbed hold of me during my reading of this section and it is just rattling around in my brain incessantly. How we view our life circumstances and, more importantly, how we react to those situations and struggles will either reflect God’s saving power in our lives or show that we do not truly trust what He has done for us.
It is not easy to walk through this life. It can seem downright impossible sometimes. There are multitudes of things to worry about. It is difficult to see an unbeliever reaping what seems to be every earthly reward while you are suffering through heartbreak and distress. Why is this person getting everything they want or need and you are hurting so much you can barely get through the day? Doesn’t God care? Doesn’t He see?
Yes, He cares. Yes, He sees.
Girlfriends, no earthly reward will ever compare to the ultimate reward we have in Jesus Christ. There is nothing in this world that will ever compare to Him. No matter what goodies your neighbor gets, what new gadget your best friend has, or how much money they make, the only reward worth fighting for is the relationship you have with your Lord and Savior. Nothing is more important. Nothing.
How do you react when someone gets an earthly reward that you coveted? Now consider it from God’s perspective. Does your reaction, internally and externally, reflect the Lord’s power working in your life? Does it show that you fully trust Him with every decision, every moment, even if it does not go your way?
One of God’s many promises is to provide us with safety and security when we acknowledge His lordship over our lives. What is your vision of safety and security? God’s plan for you may make you very uncomfortable. It may pull you out of your comfort zone. It may not make you FEEL very secure at all. But, when God is fully in control of your life and you allow Him to lead you in the path He wants you to go, your relationship with Him deepens. Your trust in Him increases. You trust in His protection and in His sovereignty. You know that His plans for you are perfect and without fault.
Ladies, the Lord is calling you by name to walk the path He has set before you. It may only take a change in perspective to see the bountiful blessings He wants to pour out on your life.
*****
Let’s Pray:
Heavenly Father,
We come before You today asking for Your divine help. Our perspective on certain situations and decisions may be very clouded. Lord, please open our eyes, ears, hearts, and minds to Your guidance. Let us be open to a change of thought. Help us to see things from Your view and to focus on You instead of the situation that is plaguing us. We know it is difficult to walk this life, Lord, and we can only do it with You right by our side. Guide us, Lord, and give us eyes to see You and ears to hear from You. In Jesus’ Name we pray.
Amen
Perspective. Good word, Jennifer. Teresa’s first paragraph hit me, “It is not wrong to ask ‘Why?’ God wants to reveal Himself in those times (of trial) as well. We have a story to tell and He wants to be the central character on the stage of your life.” He promises to walk with us through those times. Our perspective determines whether we walk through those times in peace or in defeat.
I choose to make Jesus the central character on the stage of my life so that others will see Him as I walk through the trials of life in His Peace.
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face, and the things of this world will grow strangely dim, in the light of His Glory and Grace.”
Amen, Clella.
People around us will see God. God cares for us as our father. If you are going through difficulties it is because the Lord wants to bring you closer to HIM. I have experienced this many times in my life. Really the times of difficulties I knew without a doubt that the Lord was protecting me. I know that we in the USA are really blessed. We may deal with minor persecutions compared to other Christian’s in other countries. Yet we are often less outspoken then those that may be physically persecuted for preaching or witnessing. I pray that God will give me a voice for HIM. Lord forgive me for not reaching out to others give us a heart for the people that are trusting in material things. They may appear happy but we know that our true happiness comes from knowing and trusting you Lord!!!
Yes, it does. One of Satan’s many lies is making us thinking that material possessions will make us happy. We, as Christians, can fall into that trap as well! It is so important to keep our focus where it belongs and not become ensnared on what is only fleeting, but on what is eternal. <3
In the book An Unexpected Adventure by Mittelberg & Strobel, the comment is made “We may be the only Jesus some people may ever know.” When I heard that, it may be pause to think … what am I doing to show them the REAL Jesus? Even in the little details of life, we are showing Him to the world. Thank you Jennifer for another awesome reminder!
During my recent media fast, God showed me so many things that I was putting my trust in within my own home, and none of them were God.
Examples: The television: I used the television in my home to keep noise in the background. I didn’t like the silence. So I turned to the television to break the silence. When I finally turned off the television, and got used to the silence, I began to not only enjoy it, but I also began to hear God speaking more! It made me wonder how many times I have missed Him before I turned off the noise!
The computer: This was a BIG one!!! I never really truly realized how many hours a day I spend on the computer until I started this fast. I also never realized how much I depended on the computer (Facebook) to keep me company when I was bored, or just lonely. WOW!! God was with me the whole time, wanting to have a conversation with me, but between the Television and the Computer, I was too busy with both to have that beautiful quality time that I could have had with Him. When I turned off the computer and the television during the day, after all my work was done, I could TRULY enjoy the peace and quiet, and enjoy His company, and hear His voice so very clear!!!
We have got to really look at what we are putting before God, most times without really even knowing it. Megan Smidt uses the word “intentional”, and in this case it was an area for me that I had to get intentional and look for areas where I was putting other things (and people) before God. Although the month of the media fast was hard, I learned so much about myself, and my relationship with God.
I had to step back and allow God to SHOW me these areas. To be honest, I was afraid that He would tell me these things needed to be completely removed from my life. Totally out of my comfort zone!!! But, He didn’t. He did show me a wonderful balance though.
I would highly encourage all of you to take even one WEEK to do this. You would be surprised at what you will find!!
Great reminders today, Jennifer!!!
So glad it was an awesome time of reflection for you!
Perspective is such a big word and changing our perspective can change so many things. One of the prayers that I pray regularly is that God would help me to see people and situations through His eyes, from His perspective. Thank you! ♥
While reading the study & the blog, I couldn’t stop thinking of my sister Susan who passed away 4/17/13 from terminal brain cancer. Susan LOVED Jesus, she was saved many years ago in high school. When she was 40, she contracted breast cancer, had a double mastectomy, chemo, radiation and recovered fully. The entire time she handled everything with grace & humor. At age 56, while asleep she suffered a massive stroke, a tumor on her brain the size of an orange had broken a blood vessel causing the stroke (she had no idea, no symptoms till the stroke of the tumor). The tumor was cancerous and 100% terminal. No one had ever survived this cancer, most live 4-6 months. With the stroke being so massive, the doctors gave her 3-4 months and thought she would be a vegetable during that time. Well God had another plan…. Susan started to slowly re-gain back some of her functions she had lost. While she was partially paralyzed still in her right leg & arm, she did learn how to speak again, use her left hand for what she needed and could actually walk with assistance even though she couldn’t feel her right leg. She went through chemo & radiation again until she decided it was making her too sick to enjoy the remaining time she had with her family. Susan lived almost 20 months to the day that she had the stroke, well beyond the doctors expectations. The ENTIRE time, she never once said why me God? She never questioned what happened, she just trusted in Him, clung to Him, prayed to Him and praised Him. She endured with grace, humor and His strength. He faith and her husbands faith were an amazing thing for me to see and showed me so much about trusting God, especially as a newer Christian. (The stroke happened about 3 months after I accepted Jesus). As she was in her final days, while she could still respond a little, her husband asked her “do you know how much I love you?” she responded “yes”. Then he asked her, “do you know that Jesus loves you even more than I do?” Susan got a huge smile (her last one) and said “yes!” 2 days later she passed away peacefully in her sleep. My sisters faith inspires me, whenever I want to throw a pity party for myself, or question Why God? I stop and reflect on Susan and the wonderful example she set to all who knew her about trusting in Him.
Wow, Paula, an amazing testimony to your sister’s love for Jesus, and your love for her! Thank you so much for sharing!! This really blessed my heart!!!
Paula your Sister Susan’s and her husband’s faith are a testimony to you all that were intended to be inspired by her trust. Praise God for the Twenty months she by her faith showed God to many around her including you!! Praise God for the many lives that she touched by trusting in HIM!!
thank you, paula…susan’s faith is an inspiration to ALL of us! your beautiful sister had God’s perspective in her heart, for sure! <3
Beautiful. Thank you for sharing that. <3
perspective is SUCH the key to unlocking the joy that the Great I AM promises to us! it is not until we choose to see our lives through His eyes that we can enjoy all that He has already provided for us. thank you, jennifer, so much! i appreciate your writings, and the desire you have always had to communicate what your heavenly Father inspires in your heart! and i am looking forward to your writing again…soon! <3
Me too!!
One of Websters definitions of perspective is” the capacity to view things in their true relations or importance”…..well the only way we can Truly view or see is with God living in us, He is El Roi, He sees all, so we need to let Him see, and then He can teach us to see, and then we can help others to see God in us….but let’s not just stop there with letting people see God in us, lets live God, lets give God, so others can receive God…when you show and tell then others see and receive!!!
Thanks Jennifer for reminding me to check myself daily to walk the talk that others are watching!
Yes!!! Love your comment!
Perspective. Life has many and it is truly best to reflect on God’s perspective of life.