Perspectives

I have had some interesting correspondence this week.  Some informative, some inquisitive, some normal in every way, and then some attempting to be encouraging, some explaining, and so on and so forth, as it were. 

All this reading has left me pondering again how our perspectives are sometimes out of whack.

None of us like to talk about it, but it seems "somewhat universal" that we struggle with inward looks and being disappointed, focusing on negatives, our mistakes, our sin, and our lack of living up to the standard...whatever standard that would be. 

In my line of work, I am used to only hearing complaints, problems, needs, and the like.  It seems easy in life to also get to having a focus of only seeing such things...in work, in our home, in our families, and in ourselves. 

How do we remember God is in control?  How do we remember the many blessings we have, do and will receive? 

For me, my mental focus is naturally drawn like a magnet to the negative.  Fighting against that current, to mix my metaphors, and focus on God, and His word is not easy. 

Let us be encouraged not to fixate on an ideal we see in social media, or that which we hold in our minds, but instead realize that we are all emperors without clothes, we have warts, problems, we screw up every day, forget things, forget people, try but continue to not quite get it right. 

Fixate on the example Christ gives us...He loved us and died for us when we were at our worst.  When life sucks and you screw up, when you feel you can do no right...remember Christ died for you then, not when you think you have it all together.