Gaining perspective: Seeing what you need to see in order to accomplish what is needful

                                                                    After flying up 106 kilometers above the earth, Amazon owner Jeff Bezos said he was awestruck by the earth and its beauty. He had a new appreciation for our planet, its atmosphere, and basically, he announced that he had gained a new perspective on life. 

Some will ask whether his wealth and his expenditure on this flight is appropriate. That's not my role in this blog, though. 

 

I'm thinking about gaining perspective and seeing what is needed.

 

My pastor, Darren Waters, from LCM (Lane Cove) Anglican Church, wrote a tremendous piece today about the lockdown and this idea of perspective, taking his views from the Bible book of 1 Peter. 

 

He said, "Last year, we began 'online church' looking at 1 Peter because it is a letter written to displaced people in need of comfort.  I decided to return to this letter in my personal reading as we entered lockdown this time around. While I'm not really surprised, my reaction to reading chapter 5 this morning reminded me of the truth that scripture is alive and active!  

You see, 1 Peter 5:7 reads, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." But these words follow a command to exercise humility (verses 5-6) and precede a command to resist the devil and stand faithfully-firm "because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings."

So there is a connection between humility, faithfulness, and trust (trust being the opposite of anxiety). It is as we exercise humility, entrust ourselves to the Lord Jesus, and lift our eyes and our prayers from ourselves to focus them on others who are "undergoing the same kind of sufferings," that our anxiety and stress decrease.

In other words, I need to learn again that God's mighty hands hold even this pandemic and humble myself before him. There are many around the world experiencing the worst of this disease who are in need of my prayers. I'm not in charge (thankfully) and God's care ensures that in time, God will restore us, make us strong, firm, and steadfast (v10)."

Thanks, Darren, for those good words, and for helping with my perspective today.

What helps you, dear reader, to gain a good perspective?

I find the Bible itself to be the best way to get my mind right. I often am needing direction, for myself, for my staff, for contacts who ask for such. Yes it's an ancient book, but the words still matter to me and to many today. How to admit wrong, how to live with others, how to practice justice. It's all in the book. 

 

The media is trying to give me their perspective; their messages are less than substantial and mostly out-of-touch with the wisdom from God in the Book. Sometimes it's lonely following God's perspective, but I must say it's worth it.

Seeing things from God's point of view in this troubled and troubling time of COVID is especially important. Every day the premier of our state and the other states' officials share their plans for lockdowns or freedoms. They cite health officials who inform them about 3-days or construction workers' tools down or community spread and terms we hadn't thought of previously. And we have a choice-- should we be frustrated with our incapacity? Should we be angry at their manner, their lack of debate in public, their considerations? 

Vaccines are rolling out, although they started out more like a crawl. Even so, when can we travel to Bali or the US? When will border restrictions be eased? Will the Australian Pickleball Championships go ahead as planned in October? No one really knows as the goalposts keep shifting. 

The natural tendency would be for you, dear reader, to walk away in disdain and borderline anger (pun intended). Without a divine perspective, our incapacities would outweigh our capacities. 

But I recommend a daily dose of God; or at least of godly wisdom. Gain perspective from heaven by sitting alone, for a few minutes, or why not try 30 minutes? The poem "Just for today" says, "9. Just for today I will have a quiet half-hour all by myself and relax. In this half-hour sometimes I will thank God, so as to get a better perspective of my life."

There you go. A better perspective of my life. Hey, after all the other things you've tried, why not give this one a real chance?