"Do what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4:9
Circumstances, situations, uncertainties, and challenges make
life difficult. What makes the difference
in how we handle the circumstances and situations we face? PERSEPCTIVE
Perspective is defined as a particular attitude toward or way of
regarding something; a point of view.
In Philippians 4:9, Paul wrote
to have the right perspective of faith in God no matter what your situation. Having
a positive attitude helps to experience God’s presence, power, promises and
peace. In the devotion “Proper Perspective”
(www.fcaresources.com) by Pat Street,
he shared three ways we can benefit from proper perspective.
(1) Proper perspective sees problems as
possibilities. In the Old Testament
scripture 1 Samuel 17, the battle between David and Goliath is shared. The Philistine and Israelite armies were preparing
for war. Goliath, known as the giant and
champion, faced the Israelites who cowered and turned away. David, a young Israelite Shepherd, saw
Goliath and had a completely different attitude or perspective. David trusted God would lead him to victory. David came face-to-face with the giant and
killed him. If we see problems as
possibilities, our perspective will be nothing will happen that me and Jesus
can't handle together.
(2) Proper perspective sees people in relation to
their potential. What is our view of
other people? Do you see the potential
in others? To make a difference in the
lives of others, we should encourage and support them to become who God created
them to be.
(3) Proper perspective sees the present opportunities
in relation to circumstances. Consider when Paul wrote the book of Philippians—he was in
prison. Paul was not drowning in self-pity; he wrote from jail in joy. What is the ultimate lesson from Paul? We often cannot do anything about situations
of life, but we can do something about our attitudes. "God will meet
all [my] needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." (Philippians
4:19)
How can I benefit daily from a proper perspective or attitude? It
can fuel my fire or destroy my hope. With
the proper perspective and with the Lord’s strength, no mountain is too high,
no valley is too deep, and no challenge is too great.
Pray that God will give us a clear perspective, a right
perspective, and proper perspective.
"The greatest tragedy for any human being is going through their
entire lives believing the only perspective that matters is their own."
Doug Baldwin
