Perspective: How you think
“Every encounter is designed to change our perspective. What happens when we bring our established perspective into an encounter with the Lord? The encounter is aborted because we are holding on to a perspective that the encounter is designed to change.” Pastor Tim
Perspective is how we view things. The way we think about a matter. Our beliefs become our perspective.
Question: Do you want to be right in how you think or have right thinking? Oftentimes we have been handed down long held beliefs we refuse to let go of because we want our traditions and history to be right. Understandably so, because it hard to think maybe your grandparents or parents were way off, but what did they miss out on because of a long-held belief? I personally do not want to pass down a perspective to my children and grandchildren or anyone’s children just because it is tradition. At The Wilderness Place we are endeavoring to have right thinking. We desire for Jesus to have the full reward of His sacrifice. Let’s go deeper in what Pastor Tim said about an encounter being aborted if we go into it with our own perspective. We are going to look at Mark 6.
“Afterward, Jesus left Capernaum and returned with his disciples to Nazareth, his hometown. On the Sabbath, he went to teach in the synagogue. Everyone who heard his teaching was overwhelmed with astonishment. They said among themselves, “What incredible wisdom has been given to him! Where did he receive such profound insights? And what mighty miracles flow through his hands!
Isn’t this Mary’s son, the carpenter, the brother of Jacob, Joseph, Judah, and Simon? And don’t his sisters all live here in Nazareth?” And they took offense at him.
Jesus said to them, “A prophet is treated with honor everywhere except in his own hometown, among his relatives, and in his own house.” He was unable to do any great miracle in Nazareth, except to heal a few sick people by laying his hands upon them. He was amazed at the depth of their unbelief!
Then Jesus went out into the different villages and taught the people.”
At first the people were amazed by Jesus. Then someone came with their own perspective - “Wait, isn’t this Mary’s son?” In that moment, not only did they interrupt the encounter they were having with Jesus but caused their whole town to miss out on miracles He could have done for them because they brought their own perspective in to play. The scripture says, “He was unable to do any great miracles.”
He WANTS to do many miracles in our lives as well, but we must choose to come into encounters with Him prepared to have our perspective changed. If you are ready to encounter Him in a greater way, I encourage you to lay down those long-held beliefs and surrender to what He wants to show you.
Holy Spirit, here we are with our perspectives, long-held beliefs, resentments, doubts, mistrusts and all the things that hinder our encounters with you. We lay them at your feet. We long to see you in the right way. We long to know you greater so we can give our children and grandchildren the right image of who You are and who we are. Thank you for your grace and mercy. You are always willing to teach us. Help us to always be willing to be taught.
