Perspectives
Gaining God's Perspective: Seeing Beyond Our Limited View
Have you ever considered how your perspective shapes everything about your life? From how you view challenges to how you treat others, perspective is the lens through which we experience our world. But what if we could see things from God's perspective instead of our limited human view?
How Our Perspective Shapes Our Reality
Perspective is essentially our point of view on something. When we're young, we tend to believe the world revolves around us. As we mature, we realize this isn't true, but we still often maintain a limited perspective that focuses primarily on our immediate concerns.
Our perspective determines our priorities. Sometimes all we need to do is adjust our perspective to understand more clearly.
The Earth from Different Perspectives
Consider how your perspective changes when viewing Earth from different distances:
From stadium seats at a baseball game, you see the immediate action and people around you
From above the stadium, you see a structure with people but can't make out individuals
From higher up, you see an entire city with the stadium as just one small part
From space, Earth is just a blue dot
From Mars, Earth is barely visible
From the perspective of our galaxy, Earth is like a grain of sand in a football field
Did you know there are 17 billion Earth-sized planets in our Milky Way galaxy alone? Our galaxy contains 100-400 billion stars, and it's just one of countless galaxies. The Milky Way rotates at 168 miles per second, meaning the actual place in space where you were an hour ago is now roughly 600,000 miles away.
When we consider this vastness, it becomes clear that a Creator must have put us here. As Psalm 147:4 says, "He determines the number of the stars and gives to all of them their names."
How Jesus Saw People
In Matthew 9:35-38, we see Jesus ministering to crowds:
"Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.'"
Jesus demonstrates a three-step process that transforms perspective:
He saw the crowds - Seeing leads to understanding
He understood their condition - Understanding leads to empathy
He had compassion for them - Empathy leads to compassion
What Does It Mean to See People?
Do you truly see people? Not just those in your inner circle, but your neighbors, coworkers, classmates, and even those you disagree with? You cannot understand someone without seeing them first.
Jesus saw that people were "harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." He understood their spiritual condition, which led to his compassion. While Jesus had been healing physical ailments, he recognized their deeper spiritual need.
We Are Called to Be Shepherds
Jesus essentially told his disciples that these people needed shepherds more than sermons. You can preach a sermon with little compassion, but you can't be a shepherd without it.
Who is God calling you to see, understand, show compassion to, and possibly shepherd?
Changing Our Perspective on Our Purpose
We must change our perspective on where we are and what we're doing in relation to God's kingdom. Our perspective should be this: We are not citizens of Earth; we are missionaries in a foreign land.
We've gotten supremely comfortable and territorial about a place that isn't our home. We are laborers, workers, and shepherds in the places God has put us.
Matthew 28:18-20 reminds us of our calling: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you."
Seeing Life as a Calling
When we see our life on Earth as a calling rather than just living, our perspective changes dramatically:
You're not just going to school; you're called to that school
You don't just have a job; you're called to that job
You're not just part of a family; you're called to that family
You're not just living in a neighborhood; you're called to that neighborhood
You're not just on a team; you're called to that team
Wherever you are, wherever you go, so goes the mission of Jesus Christ. The mission of Jesus doesn't revolve around you, but it very much involves you.
A Message to Parents, Students, and the Church
To Parents: When you gave birth to your child, you had 936 weeks until they graduate high school. In those weeks, there are only 18 birthdays, 18 Christmases, and 18 summers. Teach them who Jesus is, but even more, show them who Jesus is.
To Students: The choices you make today will be building blocks for your future. Try to understand your parents' perspective - they're figuring out how to care for you while giving you space to grow.
To the Church: When we pour into the next generation, we're not just helping kids in their relationship with Jesus today; we're shaping the leaders they'll become tomorrow. Let's embrace the next generation, even when they're noisy or disruptive.
Life Application
While we may feel insignificant in the vastness of the universe, God sees us as incredibly significant. The Creator of everything humbled Himself, became human, and died so that we could experience His love and take part in His eternal reign.
You are not an accident. God has placed you exactly where you need to be. No matter your past, He can and will use your obedience now.
This week, challenge yourself to:
See people differently - Look beyond your immediate circle and truly see those around you who need understanding and compassion.
Reframe your daily activities - How might your perspective change if you viewed your job, school, neighborhood, or family as your mission field?
Show compassion to someone - Identify one person who seems "harassed and helpless" and show them the compassion of Christ.
Ask yourself daily: "Am I seeing this situation from my limited perspective or am I trying to see it from God's perspective?"
A change in perspective can help you see others in their circumstances and worship God in yours. How will you adjust your perspective this week?
