Perspective

Today I was thinking about perspective. How we view things that happened to us or that were said to us or about us may not always be an accurate picture. But often times, we refuse to look at situations from another point of view. There could be a variety of reasons why we can't bear to look at things differently, but many times there are deeply embedded wounds that have scarred us and tainted our ability to see the positive. I'm not trying to downplay any hurt you've felt, but encouraging you to learn from the events, to see them as something that can be used for good somewhere down the road. God can turn things around if only we allow Him to heal those wounds.

When I was young my life started out so great. But when my father left us for another woman, and another family our lives (my mother, sister, brother and myself) were left destroyed. Many things happened as a result of his leaving. I won't get into all of that except to say that I took that blame upon myself. Children often do that. I felt that if I could do something different or better then maybe he'd come back. Maybe our lives could return to the happier times. Maybe he would love me enough. When nothing I tried worked, I felt like I was not worthy of love. That feeling directed my course for many years to come. A pastor at a church I attended once said something that equated to this: "the lie you believe today will be the truth you live by tomorrow." Pay careful attention to that wording. It says "the lie" you believe. And who do you think is filling your head with those lies? The enemy. He wants us to feel discouraged, depressed and defeated.

Dr. Wayne Dyer said, "If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."

Sir John Lubbock says it this way, "What we see depends on what we look for."

Why is it that some people can face tremendous adversity and rise above it and accomplish great things? It's perspective. Sure, they recognize what they have been through, but they don't allow it to bury them. They don't let it define them. They set out to prove that they aren't defeated by the actions and hurts caused by others or by their circumstances. My cousin, Marie, was faced with many health issues. She battled for years and eventually lost her life in January 2010. Throughout her ordeal she remained positive that God could turn this around for good, despite how it looked. Many lives were touched by her testimony. She trusted God even when others couldn't understand why. And there are others like her. Perhaps you even know someone like that.

Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

We live in a fallen world. Bad things will happen. But we can trust that our God can take even the most tragic event and turn it into something good. Does this mean our hurts will magically go away? No. But it means that we can trust God. My cousin died. I wanted desperately for her to live. But even in her death, people were touched by the courage she had, and the conviction to rely on God, to trust that no matter what happened something good would come out of it. She always told me that if one life was saved as a result of her testimony, it would be worth it.

No matter what has happened to you in this crazy life, make a determined effort to start looking at things through a different lens...the lens of God. Pray for him to open up your eyes to the great potential that lies within you. Spend time meditating on who He says you are. He is not a man that He should lie.