Perception & Perspective
Being a Christian and studying the Bible I know that a room full of people can read a passage in the Bible and for as many people in the room everyone can get a different meaning from the same passage. In my opinion, I think it can divide churches and end friendships. It’s an important reason why most people say…”I never talk about religion or politics.”
The Bible was written for the human race, no matter what our back ground, no matter what country we live in God’s word is the same but we as people can take Gods precious words and directions to us and completely tear them apart and distort them to the point that only anger and misunderstanding is left behind. But the living power in God’s word is that of love and compassion. Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. For me that means if you don’t practice some self-control when in a discussion about religion there is no boundaries anymore. Then what starts out as two loving Christian people trying to learn the word of God turns into a screaming match, Bibles are closed shut and Satan smiles. I have been present in many of these situations and I wanted to better understand how to have more of the fruits of the spirit guiding me so I could be able to talk about God with anyone and not be afraid of a fight breaking out.
God kept placing two words on my heart, Perception and Perspective. I went on a journey to find out why. The definition of perspective is a particular attitude towards or way of regarding something; a point of view. The definition of perception is a belief or opinion, often held by many people and based on how things seem. Everyone of us has a background where we have walked through some fires of life. Although the flames of a fire can look the same on the outside, inside those flames it’s a different experience for all of us. We come out of life’s struggles with very different perceptions and perspectives and so when we read Gods words they move our hearts and minds in different ways based on the fires we have walked through.
It doesn’t make my fire any less than your fire. We all have scars from flames. All of us are fighting some kind of battle our perspective and our perception of our battle is usually the difference between us sinking in quick sand or being able to walk on water. It’s important to enter the battlefield with Gods words already in your heart. Proverbs 1:7-8 How does a man become wiser? The first step is to trust and reverence the Lord. Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, they are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Many of us have so much pain. I have learned that the only way to move past pain is to process it and understand it. Our perception and our perspective must move past fear, anger, and hurt and move into a place of Faith, love and hope. We have to be able to look at our different scars and be able to smile. We cannot embrace tomorrow if we are chained to our pasts.
God says, follow me. We need to follow him not dragging our baggage with us. Phil. 3:12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on.