Have you ever had someone point out a situation to you that completely changed your perspective on that situation? Recently while I was spending some time with God I decided to go for a walk to think and pray about some things that were going on in my life. I was walking to a familiar spot near my apartment and the entire time I was walking couldn't stop thinking about how difficult it was to get to this spot and how much time it was taking. But when I got to the top of the hill and looked back over where I had just been I realized that it really wasn't all that far or nearly as uphill as it felt while I was making my way there. At this moment the Lord started speaking to me about how much my perspective can change the way I view difficult situations.
As it turns out a few days later I received some life changing news and it was then that God reminded me of my walk and our conversation. At that moment I had the opportunity to choose my perspective. Many times our mood is determined by what we choose to focus on. I believe this is one of the reasons the Bible says so many times in the New Testament to be thankful, give thanksgiving and rejoice in all circumstances. Bill Johnson writes in his book, Strengthen Yourself in the Lord, "Thanksgiving is the only proper way to receive what God has given us because it honors our relationship with Him by expressing trust in His goodness, even if we don't yet understand what we've received."
Let me just say that being thankful may not change your situation at all, bad news is bad news. However, being thankful changes our perspective and to repeat what Mr. Johnson said, it expresses trust in God's goodness. It is very difficult for us to be thankful in such situations but the reality is God says to us in James 1 to "consider it pure joy" when we face difficult situations. God invites us to choose our perspective and promises us that He is looking out for our good.
So, what are you choosing to focus on?
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