I will be going on a brief vacation so for the next six days I am re-posting some of my favorite devotions. I hope they bless you!
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.
From a biblical point of view, perspective also means everything. Let’s consider the following three example from the Scriptures:
First, as a Christian how do you view your citizenship? Is it earthly or heavenly? (Philippians 3:20) says: “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” I choose to see myself as having dual citizenship. As a member of the human race, I have an earthly citizenship. But as a Christian my true eternal citizenship is in heaven; my final resting place when the Lord calls me home.
Second, how about suffering? Is your perspective short term where suffering will be a part of all of our lives or is it long term where there will be no suffering at all? 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!
And third, one final contrast is how we react, in the now, to tragedies. (Isaiah 61:3) has the finest perspective that I have ever heard on this subject. For we read that when you are really down in the dumps to:
“To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”
Imagine that The Bible tells us to be joyful and praiseful when you are mourning and feeling heaviness. This seems counterintuitive but I believe this prescription is the best medicine known to man to uplift our spirits.
Someone once summed it up well 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.”
“Just what is your perspective in life? The way we view things makes all the difference in the world.”
“Perspective” is another way of saying worldview. “The way we view things” is through God’s eyes and He has given us His “perspective” in His Word. Everybody has a worldview but apart from God’s knowledge in His word, they go off the tracks and suppress the true knowledge in unrighteousness.
Firstly, He placed us in a creation that demonstrates His glory but man wanted to share that glory by listening to that “liar from the beginning.” This fall into sin required a perfect sacrifice if man’s worldview was going to be made right. God makes the crooked straight.
Secondly, the Father told us what matters to Him and how we should live by giving us His Law. After surrendering to His grace, the Law fleshes out our worldview, setting our minds on the things of the Spirit that the righteous requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us. The unbeliever can only set his mind on the flesh, and cannot submit to God’s Law. Romans 8 “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.“
All of life must be interpreted by God’s word. Instead of saying “I think” or “My opinion is,” we need to be so conversant with His word that we can confidently say “ Thus sayeth the Lord!”
It was said of the Puritans that if you pricked their arm with a pin, Scripture would flow out. So, be filled with the Word, meditate on the Word, pray the Word, and the next time you’re asked for your opinion or your beliefs are challenged, be able to draw your answer from the Word, like Jesus did when confronted by Satan.
We have many battles we’re engaged in, some personal, some political, and all moral. Do you have reasoned answers that you have hammered out in the Bible’s pages or is your theology relying on emotions or misinformation?
We need an immutable, inerrant, authoritative standard if our interpretation of this world and its issues are going to make sense.
So, open your Bible today and learn what the mind of the Spirit is. Start by memorizing God’s Law, the Ten Words that the righteous requirement of this Law might be fulfilled in you, who walk in the Spirit.