A Matter of Perspective

A few years back I read a book entitled: ONE WORD THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE. I’ve found that God has His word for each of us every year. As we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus, we pass through stages of life. Each of those stages requires us to focus on specific areas of our JOurneY with Jesus.

Two years ago, mine word was GRATITUDE. I focused on being grateful for everything… good, bad, and ugly. If God causes all things to work together for my good and His glory, everything that comes into our lives is something for which we should be thankful. An attitude of gratitude did not stop at the end of that year. It has become a deeply ingrained habit for which I am very grateful to this day.

Last year my word started out as FOCUS. With all the minutiae that went on around me, I lost focus very easily. I fell prey to the “tyranny of the urgent.” You know, those things that are not that important but scream out to us, “DO ME NOW!!!!” The urgent can push aside the really important, life-changing things God has called us to do. God told me to focus on what I did well and stop doing those things I didn’t do well. He told me to write UNLOCKING THE MYSTERY: Christ IN You three years ago, but I kept getting side-tracked. Thank the Lord we finally got it published. Love is patient. Thank God.

In the middle of last year, God changed my word from FOCUS to RELAX. Last year I had a problem trying to figure out solutions for problems that did not concern me. The Lord began to whisper in my ear whenever I would start to stress out: “RELAX…. I got this. I’ll let you know if and when I need your help. In the meantime, let’s enjoy our day together.”

Even today, I hear Him speaking softly to me: “Kenny, RELAX. Take a deep breath and RELAX.”

I’ve come to realize these words God gives me are building blocks. You don’t throw last year’s word away and start over. Previous years’ words are like building blocks strengthening our trust and foundation in Him.

God’s word for me this year, 2019, is PERSPECTIVE.

I’m learning that how I see things is not necessarily how things really are. It’s just how I see things. It’s all a matter of PERSPECTIVE.

For example, two shoe salesmen from different companies went to Africa in an attempt to expand their markets. The first salesmen saw all the bare-footed people there and said, “I’m going back home. Nobody wears shoes over here.”

The other shoe salesmen could not contain his excitement. He sent a message to his company: “Send all the shoes you can send me. This is a bonanza. Nobody over here has any shoes!”

Because our soul has not been redeemed yet, and we live in a fallen world, no one has a totally right, or totally wrong perspective. The only One whose perspective is totally right all the time is the Lord Jesus. That is why we must strive to obtain His perspective. We need to listen to one another’s perspective in order to arrive at God’s perspective. We all see through a distorted window in totally different ways. Only by seeking His perspective and listening openly to other’s perspectives do we “get it right.” God designed us to live in dependence upon Him and interdependence upon one another.

You think about that this year. It’s all a matter of perspective.

Jesus has a word picked out for you this year, too. Ask Him to give it to you. Don’t make up one of your own. God has His word just for you. He will reveal it to you if you will only ask Him.

It’s going to be a great year, no matter what. There is nothing going to happen this year that you and Jesus cannot handle.

Happy New Year!

Kenny