Just what is your perspective in life? The way we view things makes all the difference in the world. For example, to you walk by faith or by sight. Or do you consider yourself a positive or negative person? And what about trials? Do you avoid them like the plague or embrace them as opportunities to give God glory as you work through them.
As a Christian we are always called to view things through the lens of Scripture. But in order to do this it is imperative that we read, study, and meditate on the Word of God daily. But as important as this is we cannot do this on our own. We must invoke and rely on the illuminating power of the Holy Spirit to help transform our way of thinking and perspective on life. I really like how Pastor Charles Swindoll puts it: “Choose to view life through God’s eyes. This will not be easy because it doesn’t come naturally to us. We cannot do this on our own. We have to allow God to elevate our vantage point. Start by reading His Word, the Bible…Pray and ask God to transform your thinking. Let Him do what you cannot. Ask Him to give you an eternal, divine perspective.”1
In order to understand how important it is to have this “divine perspective,” I ask you to consider the case for the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Having faith in the resurrection is the key cornerstone on which Christianity rises or falls, and is the key doctrine that all Christians must believe in if they want to have an eternal perspective on life. Consider the following section of Scripture:
12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. (1 Corinthians 15:12-19).
It’s this belief in the supernatural resurrection of Jesus Christ that gave the early apostles the boldness to preach Jesus everywhere because their thinking was transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit and their certainty of eternal life through Christ.
Not only that but having a divine perspective allows us to handle even the most difficult of trials and suffering we will face on earth. The Apostle Paul summed up this concept well in (Romans 8:18): “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” And we also get another wonderful picture of this when we read (Revelation 21:4): “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” In this present age there will be plenty of suffering but in the age to come, when we as Christian go to heaven, suffering will be banished forever!
Christian, we need to always be encouraged and positive because Jesus died, not only to take ours sins away, but to reestablish our relationship with God both now and forever. Having this positive attitude on living and an eternal, divine perspective on life, I believe, will allow us to weather even the harshest of trials. Always remember that life is not about our happiness, but about our holiness. And that life is really our training grounds for eternity. And as we set our minds on things above, we will be more than able to handle life here below.
And the more we focus on who we are in Christ, on Jesus’ amazing love toward us, and our eternally secure future, the more joy will fill our cup. In fact, I believe as children of God, someone once summed up well what our attitude and perspective on life should be when he said, the optimist says the glass is ½ full. The pessimist says the glass is ½ empty. But the Christian says, “My cup runs over!”