I think everyone has a little place in their minds where they (and when I say “they” I mean “we” because I am no exception) become set in their ways of thinking and doing things.  There is a lot of security in not “rocking the boat” by challenging our viewpoints or altering our daily agendas.  For the Christian, unalterable truth is revealed through Jesus Christ and the Word of God, the Bible.  Unfortunately, we have an enemy who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy people by twisting and perverting truth as evidenced in the Garden of Eden and the wilderness where satan tried to divert Jesus from His mission to save mankind.

The fact that people can become set in their ways, no matter their ages, became very apparent to me on a couple of short-term mission trips I took a number of years ago.  Remarkably, older people seemed better able to adapt to their circumstances and be flexible as situations demanded than the younger folk—I guess that is because life has demanded many adjustments from most of us.  I do not think that is necessarily true when it comes to seeing things from different perspectives, though. Sometimes we become so set in our individual viewpoints that it is very difficult to see beyond our “religion” into the hearts and souls of those who are struggling, broken, or wounded.

I experienced a perspective adjustment a few weeks ago as the result of a sermon I heard at church—like the focusing of a lens, I saw with increased clarity something that I have wrestled with most of my life in a new light, with new understanding.  And I am experiencing a new freedom, which is the result of truth—because “…you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free….Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed!” (John 8:32, 36).

I have struggled with self-control, thinking that as a child of God, filled with the Holy Spirit, I should not have any problems controlling what I eat and keeping the pounds off.  Yet that has not been my reality and I have truly wondered what it is in my life that is blocking the fruit of the Holy Spirit, particularly in the area of self-control.  (“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” – Galatians 5:22, 23).  My struggles produced guilt, which inadvertently led to condemnation – however, “there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:1).

I did not realize, though, that I was confusing self-discipline (discipline and training oneself, usually for improvement) with self-control (control or restraint of oneself or one’s actions, feelings, etc.).  Self-discipline is often based on personal strengths and contribute quite generously to a sense of pride in accomplishment.  Holy Spirit self-control ignites the restraint of our actions, attitudes, and feelings when lured by the works of the flesh.  “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outburst of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissension, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like…” (Galatians 5:-21).

We receive the Holy Spirit the same way we received Jesus—through faith (Galatians 3:14).  As we continue to feed the life of the Spirit within us, the fruit of the Spirit will grow and shine through.  “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.  For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life” (Galatians 6:7, 8).

After a discussion about faith with some friends recently, I’ve given some thought to another aspect of perspective—in our relationships with others and how we handle the basic tenets of our faith.

I made some comments about the necessity of faith with the day of my son’s next deployment drawing near, as well as some other things going on in my family right now.  Someone mentioned that we all live by faith all the time.  …which is true; however, there are times in our lives when faith has an edginess that requires us to fight for it.  We fight to take our thoughts captive; we fight for hope.  We will not open the door an inch to let the enemy stick his foot in with “what ifs….”  In the midst of deployments, injuries, difficulties and crises of many kinds, family tragedies, catastrophic illnesses and the like, where there is an underlying acknowledgment that there is nowhere else to go but to Jesus, yet the battle for our hearts and our faith is real.  There are times when we don’t necessarily need the religious answers, we need the hope and comfort that only the Holy Spirit can bring.

I love the encouragement in 1 Corinthians 1:3, 4 where Paul writes through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit:  “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”  I love that God is so personal that He comforts us throughout the tribulations of life; I am also grateful that he brings people into our lives who have experienced similar trials and can share hopeful perspectives on the demands placed on our faith in the difficult times.

Sometime we just need to let the Holy Spirit shake us up a bit, to loosen up those places in our hearts that have become settled and stagnant—to listen to God’s voice in the moment, to listen beyond the words of others to hear what their hearts are saying.  …to see life from God’s perspective.

May all of our lives be refreshed with cool breezes of the Holy Spirit today so that we can read His Word with renewed understanding and gain revitalized perspectives, while seeing others, and ourselves, as God sees us!