It's All About Perspective!

Friday, January 21st, 2011

Today's Passage: Philippians 4: 4-9 
Memory Verse(s): Phil. 4:8

You know how sometimes you take certain things for granted, and you don't realize you're doing it until a sudden brush with reality reminds you of it?  It happened to me yesterday morning.  I didn't know how much of a blessing my old minivan was.  Then it wouldn't start, and I had to walk to work.

When my eight-year-old son started to grumble about the walk, I knew it was an awesome opportunity to teach him what God's Word means about "thinking on these things".  I reminded him that we have so much to be thankful for.  For one, we only live two minutes away from the school by car, so it might take about eight minutes to get there on foot-- ten at the most.  I explained to him that other kids have to walk much farther to school everyday, and that not many of them have a chance to walk and talk to their moms on the way there.

He seemed to brighten up when I gave him this information, but God used our conversation to remind me of how easy it is to forget how blessed we are.  I guess that's why He put it in His Word exactly what we should focus on.  Whatever is true, worthy of respect, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent and praiseworthy,  God wants us to THINK on these things.

In other words, God wants us to believe, conceive, consider, esteem, feel, hold, look on, look upon, reckon, regard, repute, rethink, see, take to be, think of, and view.  And that's just the tip of the iceberg.  But all these words are ACTIONS that involve being responsible for our attitudes.  This is the ONLY way to walk in the peace that surpasses understanding.  It's all about perspective, folks!

Prayer: Father, Your grace is sufficient for me-- my past, my present, and my future is covered under Your wings.  So I will think on what is true, and give You praise for what You've already done to prove Your faithfulness.  I WILL NOT grumble or complain about circumstances that pop up to take my gaze off You.  Let me always have a praise on my lips so that You will always be glorified.  In Jesus' Name, Amen!