It's a matter of perspective

I deal with people all the time. That's my "job." Talking to them, counseling them, caring for them, listening to them. What I have found is that the way we view our lives and situations is a matter of perspective. I talk to happy people who have had a very difficult life, and others who are miserable who have had very easy lives.

Why the difference? I'm convinced from all the years of dealing with people that it is, in fact, a personal choice of how we want to view our lives. It's a matter of perspective. Will I view my life through my problems, my woes, my difficulties or will I look for the good in life, and be the optimist? One of the people I admire most in life is my wife. She has had some really bad things happen in her life, but she has chosen to look for the good, be positive, forgive, make the best of whatever comes her way.

Then there are those people who insist that the world is against them. I think the difference is all a matter of perspective. How will you view things? It's your choice. That's the difference I see in older people...as soon as you meet them you can tell what they chose....it's now part of their face. Did they choose to finish well or finish poorly? You know the answer as soon as you meet them. What's amazing to me is that the people who are the happiest usually did not have an easy life, but they made a choice...they packaged the situations of their life in light of knowing that God was in charge and loved them.

How you view your life is revealed best by the adjectives you use. Those little defining words that tell us all your perspective. They are the defining words that reveal your perspective on life...is God good or not? From what I read in the bible our perspective on life is a choice. How will we package what is happening to us? How will we view God? How will we evaluate our experiences?

Listen for your adjectives. It will tell you a lot about how you view God. Is your life out of control or is God in charge? It's all about your understanding and belief about God and the world you live in. It's the difference between seeing a bottle of water or seeing diet water....it's a matter of perspective. So, listen for your adjectives today, and tell me what you find out about yourself.