Perspective can alter our lives
- Amber Miller: A Word of Truth
- July 28, 2018
- 1892
I remember a few years ago being at an event and hearing a local woman giving a message in which the theme was “perspective changes everything.”
Isn’t it amazing how our perspective can alter the course of our lives? Maybe you’ve never thought about that before, but what we believe determines the directions our lives go. “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” — Proverbs 23:7.
How we view ourselves is so important. As Christians, do we view ourselves as only what we see on the surface, or do we view ourselves as having the very spirit and power of Christ living in us?
There is a powerful lesson with these contrasting perspectives from the Bible that I’d like to touch on because it is so relevant for us today. It is the story of the Israelites when God first wanted them to take over the land of Canaan. God told Moses to send out spies to look over the land, the people in the land and to bring back some of the fruit of the land (Numbers 12:18-20).
They did just that. Twelve men total went out, and they brought back one cluster of grapes that required two men and a pole to carry back. It was an abundant land flowing with milk and honey that God was preparing for them to take over and enjoy.
But one thing stopped them: a wrong perspective that led to unbelief, which kept them out of the promise land. Ten of the men came back saying how strong and fortified the cities were and how many of the people were giants. They totally factored God out of the equation and were focusing their attention on their own strength.
“We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we. There we saw the giants (descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” — Numbers 13:31, 33.
These verses reveal their perspective. Although it is easy to look down on the Israelites for seeing themselves as grasshoppers, how often have you approached a situation that you knew God was leading you into and thought, “This is bigger than I can handle; I can’t do it?”
Your situation was a giant, and you saw yourself as a grasshopper. It is in those moments, those soul-searching moments, that we should not let that thought stop there but instead take it further and say, “God, this is bigger than what I can handle but not bigger than what you can handle. And because Jesus lives in me in all his fullness, I will rely on his strength living in me to defeat this giant. If you have called me, you will lead me. Jesus in me is bigger than anything that comes my way. His strength is sufficient to overcome and conquer this situation.”
God is going to call us to assignments that are bigger than what we can rely on our own strength to accomplish. The impossible only becomes possible when we change our perspective and put our faith in him, not ourselves.
Caleb and Joshua, however, had the right perspective. They tried to get the people to see beyond themselves to God, who was their help and strength. Caleb told the people, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” — Numbers 13:30.
He wasn’t saying that because he thought the Israelites were physically stronger than the giants but rather because he knew that if God was for them who could be against them?
Joshua also tried to change their perspective. He didn’t see the people as giants but as their bread to devour because he knew their protection had departed from them because God was on the side of the Israelites (Numbers 14:8-9).
They didn’t listen, and because of their wrong perspective, they were never able to enter the promise land. Caleb and Joshua though, because they had the right perspective, were eventually able to enter.
So let me ask you: What perspective will you choose to have? When an impossible situation comes your way, will you view yourself as a grasshopper or a giant with Jesus? Will you view yourself simply in light of your own humanity or as a vessel of the Spirit of God able to do the impossible with him?
Faith looks at God and his resources; fear looks at ourselves and our own resources. I would encourage you to start changing your perspective. See Jesus living in you, helping you, equipping you to handle whatever endeavor God calls you to. Renew your mind to whose you are and who lives in you. See yourself as a giant with Jesus.
Amber can be reached at amberdeemiller32@gmail.com or through her AmberRiceMiller Facebook page.