Perspectives!

The past few days I have been in deep thought about life in general; with all the ups and downs, the joy of success and the disappointment of failures.  And so often our future decisions are based upon how we experience things in our life right now.  What determines this?  To me it really boils down to perspective.  Perspective by definition is “the state of one's ideas”,” the facts known to one”.   So what is the determining line in failure/success and joy/sorrow?  It’s our perspectives/perceptions/thoughts with the combination of our emotions/feelings which in turn leads us to make judgments/decisions.  

What’s the old psychology adage? “Think, Feel, Act”. 

For instance, how many times has someone said/done something to cause us in return make a strong, abrupt, or even rush judgment?  (We think we are wronged, we feel angered, and we react).  Many times our perspectives save us from danger, but there are times our perceptions (and reactions to them) are completely off base and keep us from healthy things/people.

Anyway you look at it, every day we are absorbing things around us and making decisions!  However, often times we do not think of alternative perspectives in a given situation in our lives, and generally we get the same results in our actions/judgments.    When we allow Christ in the process of our thoughts and feelings, we are going to have a completely different outcome/reaction. 

A while back I found I had gotten to a low place in my life, and I prayed and sought the root of my distress.  I had, like many today, struggled to find employment and then once I did, all that was available to me was part time.  But I knew that wasn’t the root cause alone.  I had some health issues that were affecting me, but still not my root cause.  What I found to be the root cause was my perspective.  A lot of times we allow one person, event, or position to captivate  our attention. In a sense the person/event/position masters and rules us as we spend all our time, focus  and energy on that (person/place/thing). That time brooding, becomes comes our ever present venom, that spreads throughout the other areas of our lives.  For me that venom was letting that singular focus suck the life out of me. It became my fixation day and night.  It became an obsession, worrying how to resolve it, fix it, mend it.  In those days I robbed God of giving thanks for blessings He gave daily, hourly, and even momentarily.  Don’t get me wrong, I was thankful for the blessings, I just didn’t always see them for what they were or let them penetrate the darkest and most broken parts of my soul! Many were sent simply to help me lose grip of the object I was clinging hold of.

I knew this scripture inside and out, but I was failing to apply it to my life.   

 "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." - 2 Timothy 1:7 
  

My perception was not based on facts, it was based on ideas, ideas I had established, ideas society tries to determine for us.  I had allowed the enemy of my soul to succeed at allowing fear to creep in.  I was fearful of poverty, disappointing/hurting others, having to admit faults, starting over, and even afraid of having to possibly depend on or ask others for help/support (even just their time/ear). But on the other hand I was equally scared of succeeding at the things I loved, afraid I would have pride or what would be perceived as prideful.  I was fearful of not being able to relate to others or vise versus, afraid they wouldn't be able to relate where I was in life.  It was tormenting me!  

The enemy likes to isolate us with these distorted ideas/thoughts/perspectives/perceptions, whatever you want to call it. As one of my wise mentors in college often  quoted, “isolation breeds sin…just like mosquitoes to stagnant water.”   My thoughts were a cesspool, and only God pierced that darkness for me. (I will share some of the cost of isolation in future posts). After a year of unemployment and $50,000 of student loan debt hanging over my head, this scripture broke me.

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom." - Ecclesiastes 9:10

 I had spent the days, weeks, and months on end prior to August 2010 applying for jobs, begging God for answers.  During my  college years, I at times had two jobs, family, church work, street ministry, and so many friendships to balance, and in all that found life less tiring and so much more fulfilling.  But in that dark hour, with finances extremely tight, direction for my life completely out of focus; I found solace in isolation.  In the rut of isolation I didn’t have to be worried about making/breaking a commitment (due to finances).  I didn't have to worry about not being able to relate to my friends who were filling fulfillment and success.  In isolation I even had the advantage of studying and reading God’s Word, but the human element was missing.  What better way to self destruct, than to withdrawal!  You simply cannot live the Christian principals out in isolation.  We are made for relationship (every single human being)!

 I see a society of men and woman exactly where I have been.  With inflation, jobless rates, grief, divorce rates, etc, it’s no wonder the most connected societies (facebook, myspace, cell phones, tv, etc) is one of the most isolated and most uncommitted generations on the face of the planet!  Our enemy is destroying our world one person, one relationship, and one home at a time.  

 

I’m a people person, and I have always found it easy to relate with most anyone to some degree or another!  (Which shows how silly it was for me to believe deception and bow out of staying connected with others).  I believe everyone is giving a unique purpose in this life.
 
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11  

This a unique blueprint God has for every single person that walks the planet.  Every single person on this planet is tainted with sin, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23.  This sin is at war against the plans God has for our lives.  “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”- 1 Peter 5:8.   I also believe each individual endures painful times in their lives which can either become stumbling blocks, or character developers!  When we call upon the Lord in our weaknesses, failures, or temptations these are our promises:

"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Romans 10:13

“Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.”
                                                          -  Isaiah 40:31

 

I had called upon the Lord in 1996 to completely take over my life (the moment of my salvation), but each day we are to seek that renewal to live out the purpose/plan He has called us to in this life.  When we try it on our own we fail!  Why?  …because we are living “our plan” not “His plan”.  Doesn’t it seem logical we must know the mind of Christ to understand the plans He has for us!  “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.”  Romans 12:2

For me those dark days taught be to continually seek the silver lining, God is constantly drawing us to that perfect plan!  Sometimes we don’t see how/when/why/what is planned.  Sometimes it may feel He is completely absent.  It’s at these times I remember a wise quote by Max Lucado,  

“When you can't trace His hand, TRUST His heart.” 

Every plan God has for your life, is meaningful and profitable!  

“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow” – James 1:17.  Our Heavenly father never abandons us, and when the darkest hours come, don’t think you are alone in your sufferings either for even in that He is there, and He can identify!  

“For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.” – 2 Corinthians 1:5

 

Because I spent so many days allowing the negative to control my life, I’m turning my blog over to record the blessings God has sent my way over the years.  Obviously, I did see God’s blessings in my life and proper credit will never be given to those people/events until eternity.  But for now, I want to thank people for allowing me to read their book/life (watch the first clip to understand), and for allowing God to teach/reach me through them!  As God once put on my heart, “You never know when someone is walking in the light of the fire you are in!”  Like a log on a fire, be totally consumed by God and He will draw people to Himself! Thank-you all for blessing my life!  Soon I will begin posting one of those blessings/persons a day, until God leads me in another direction! 

“You are valuable because you exist. Not because of what you do or what you have done, but simply because you are.”       -   Max Lucado