Perspective

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. (James 1:2-8 ESV). When I was in the car business one of the details in the building of a new facility was meeting with architects. In one of these meetings, the first hours were introductory to our facility and the surrounding businesses. We talked about future potential and growth and which direction we felt the business was taking. Then it was time for him to put some ideas on paper. It was quite interesting to watch him work as he prepared some architectural illustrations. The first thing he did was to lay out the “perspective.” This is where he chooses the particular vantage-point from which he will present the delineation. After that decision is made, he draws it up and paints it as if the building were already built, complete with full-grown trees and landscaping. The perspective determined the rest of the building. Many times, when anxieties arise in our lives, and when difficulties are looming, it seems as if there is only one possible view of them, and that is not a positive one. While driving back from Nashville recently I was thinking through a particular problem and I remembered this meeting, thinking, "What do you see?" My response was very easy. All I saw were the bugs splattered over the windshield. Then it hit me! While I focused on the bugs I was missing everything else beyond! My perspective was wrong. What determines your perspective? It often comes from how you have educated your mind and your spirit. Feeding your mind habitually on television and other world-oriented sources will determine the point of view from which you see life. God, on the other hand, has laid out the proper perspective for us in His Word. Learning to take advantage of this provision through reading and meditation alters the way we see things; it alters our focus. This new power of being able to see circumstances in relation to the overall eternal picture begins when we change our minds from going our own way, or the way of the world, and turn to follow Jesus Christ. Like the architect, when he makes a choice of which vantage-point to take when laying out the architectural rendering, we too may choose the perspective in which we see our circumstances. What will your choice be? Will you too see the splattered bugs and miss the landscapes beyond?