Perception

I think we all need to have a better perception. In this society, we are very quick to pass judgement or complain about our situations. There are a lot of critics out there who never really know what people have gone through. You never know where people have been or where God is leading them. You have to know where people are coming from to understand where they are going.

Trials are usually what occurs before we gain success. We all want to skip the battle and just receive the victory but many people will tell you that some of the most successful things that have happened to them came through some of the most difficult and painful experiences. You don't have to look far to hear of some examples...just look in the Bible. Joseph suffered for years through abuse but he would not have been the great powerful man of God that he was if he did not suffer through slavery and adversity. David committed adultery with Bathsheba and then tried to cover his tracks by murdering her husband…but God restored him through His grace and David changed and became known as a man after God’s own heart. Rahab was a prostitute but turned her life over to God and is known in the Bible as a woman among the righteous and as having active faith. Peter denied Jesus three times but went on to be one of His most faithful disciples leading thousands to Christ. Paul persecuted hundreds of Christians and began to destroy the church before he was saved, he then became arguably the most influential Christian of his time and wrote most of the New Testament. Adversity is what brings a deeper bond, not success.


A new perception gives you hope even in times of grief. It allows you to see people and situations the way God does. We want to have God's heart for people and see their purpose and potential but we often times tend to focus on the negative. My friend Reggi asked me this question that helped change my perception, "How do peoples weaknesses in the flesh reveal their strength in the Spirit?" That is a change in perception that will allow you to see people the way Christ sees them.

In Luke 5:1-11 you have the story of Jesus telling Peter to put down his nets into the water. They catch so many fish that their nets began to break. This is a great illustration of the way we can sometimes complain about the blessings that God gives us, especially after praying for it. Would you rather have breaking nets or empty nets? You see, we complain that life gets too hard instead of giving thanks for the breathe that God allows us to have. We complain over crying babies instead of giving thanks for having a healthy baby when people all over the world can not even conceive (or lose their child to tragedy). We complain that our church has gotten too big and we don't have the people or resources to supply the need instead of praising God for answering the prayer of growing the church. We complain about the food we eat when people are dying from starvation. We complain about not having the coolest fashion, fastest car, or nicest home when God has supplied all your needs according to His riches (Philippians 4:19). We complain about not having a significant other when God might be trying to teach you something about yourself right now...you can't look for the right person until you are the right person. The list goes on...maybe you should pause right now and give thanks to God who has blessed you with so much!

Pastor Britt Merrick in California talks about a different perception he has when dealing with his daughter's battle with cancer (His sermon titled Struck Down But Not Destroyed is phenomenal). He says that the last year was the worst year of his life, yet the best...and that this year was going to be worse than the previous, but even better. Even when we go through hell on earth, we must trust God. How selfish, wrong, and arrogant is it to think that God is good while others are going through hell and then think God is not good when we go through those exact same trails? God is good no matter what and we are made stronger through the storms we encounter.

We must change our perception about life and about others. I must honor people, regardless of the choices they make, because people are made in the image of God. When I don't honor people, I don't honor God. I need to not live for the moment...I need to live for the moments after the moment. I have no idea what God is going to do in 10 years but I can expect God's best and accept what He allows. We will reap a whole lot more that way. We also need to remove this sense of entitlement that we all struggle with. We feel like we deserve something. Hillsong church uses this phrase with its staff, "The thing that I am apart of is so much bigger than the part I play." That is important to know while doing ministry so that our focus is always on God. I must have the right perception and be faithful when no one is looking. Colossians 2:6-7 says, "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."