In my devotion I read this morning by Oswald Chamber, once again I moved by the depth of this man. He causes me to delve internally and ask myself some pretty important things, like is it really all that bad? Listen to what he said today;
What does it matter if external circumstances are hard? Why should they not be! (That in and of itself is a pretty important question.) If we give way to self-pity and indulge in the luxury of misery, we banish God's riches from our own lives and hinder others from entering into His provision....When God is beginning to be satisfied with us He will impoverish everything in the nature of fictitious wealth, until we learn that all our fresh springs are in Him. If the majesty and grace and power of God are not being manifested in us....God holds us responsible. "God is able to make all grace abound;" then learn to lavish the grace of God on others.
Here is the thing I hear, it's not about my happiness, my comfort, my ease that Christ died, it's about Him doing through us what His sovereignty chooses and us loving others the way this sovereign Lord has loved us! Think about it!
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
What's your perspective?
I am in New Orleans on a job this week and admidst our work today my boss and I were discussing "perspective", he said concerning a matter, "it is all in your perspective". This lead to a conversation that really has me thinking and thinking and thinking, especially the use of the phrase, "it is all in your perspective". Is that true, I mean from a biblical standpoint concerning the matters of life, it almost sounds like some kind of excuse doesn't it?
Now I realize that you're probably saying, "well it depends on in what context you are using the word". Yes that is true. Let me give you the definition of the word perspective: noun- frame of reference, the state of one's ideas of the facts known to one, and the faculty of seeing all the relevant data in a meaningful relationship. Doesn't that sound all to philisophical? A couple of synonyms for perspective are; context and sight. Now this is the way my mind works, I say, ok sounds deep now what does that mean to me? As my boss and I were talking this through we agreed that everyone has a perspective and most the time it is based on your life experientially. I guess the red flag that I thought about was, "but what about truth, life cannot be based on just experience alone", if it is seems like that might cause choas when trying to make decisions, big life decisions!
How about this, what if I don't think anybody loves me, here I am in New Orleans and nobody from my family calls me today or for that matter anytime this week while I am here, if I just base that on "seeing all the relevant data" I guess after a week, I could be feeling kinda low! This is the point where my foundation is very important, the foundation that I've been building for the last 25 years of love, concern and care in our family. I totally rely on that foundation, not necessarily my perspective at that moment.
We also decided definately that one's perspective changes over the years. I don't see things the way I used to that is for sure. Now look at the word context, it is a synonym for perspective. If I look at my life in context, I can see that just because my family didn't call me doesn't mean they don't love me. There probably was a time due to immaturity and a poor grasp of truth that I might have thought that. If I base important life decisions, moral and otherwise on truth, in context, now there is a foundation upon which all perspective can rest firmly.
I haven't thought this through much more than that, but it's interesting isn't it? I would love to hear what any of you think, (other than, "she needs a life"). So ponder on that for a moment and lets talk!
Now I realize that you're probably saying, "well it depends on in what context you are using the word". Yes that is true. Let me give you the definition of the word perspective: noun- frame of reference, the state of one's ideas of the facts known to one, and the faculty of seeing all the relevant data in a meaningful relationship. Doesn't that sound all to philisophical? A couple of synonyms for perspective are; context and sight. Now this is the way my mind works, I say, ok sounds deep now what does that mean to me? As my boss and I were talking this through we agreed that everyone has a perspective and most the time it is based on your life experientially. I guess the red flag that I thought about was, "but what about truth, life cannot be based on just experience alone", if it is seems like that might cause choas when trying to make decisions, big life decisions!
How about this, what if I don't think anybody loves me, here I am in New Orleans and nobody from my family calls me today or for that matter anytime this week while I am here, if I just base that on "seeing all the relevant data" I guess after a week, I could be feeling kinda low! This is the point where my foundation is very important, the foundation that I've been building for the last 25 years of love, concern and care in our family. I totally rely on that foundation, not necessarily my perspective at that moment.
We also decided definately that one's perspective changes over the years. I don't see things the way I used to that is for sure. Now look at the word context, it is a synonym for perspective. If I look at my life in context, I can see that just because my family didn't call me doesn't mean they don't love me. There probably was a time due to immaturity and a poor grasp of truth that I might have thought that. If I base important life decisions, moral and otherwise on truth, in context, now there is a foundation upon which all perspective can rest firmly.
I haven't thought this through much more than that, but it's interesting isn't it? I would love to hear what any of you think, (other than, "she needs a life"). So ponder on that for a moment and lets talk!
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