Tag: Perspective

How Do You See?

“To the pure, all things are pure. But to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their minds and consciences are corrupted.” (Titus 1:15, NET)

We often think that the world around us determines how we see things. If life is good, we feel good. If life is bad, we feel bad. But Paul reminds Titus of a deeper truth—everything we experience is filtered through the lens of our own hearts and worldview. What we see and how we interpret it reflects who we are.

To the pure, Paul says, all things are pure. This isn’t naivety; it’s the result of a heart transformed by Christ. A pure heart views the world through the lens of grace, love, and trust in God. It seeks the good. It extends charity. It assumes the best intentions and sees opportunities for redemption, even in brokenness.

But to the corrupt, nothing is pure. Why? Because a corrupt heart projects its own intentions outward. Someone who lives in dishonesty assumes others are lying too. A bitter person sees only offense. A lustful heart objectifies. An unbelieving mind interprets everything as meaningless. In other words, our perception of the world becomes a mirror reflecting what’s already in us.

Jesus said something similar: “For the mouth speaks from what fills the heart” (Matthew 12:34). What’s in us comes out—not just in our words, but in how we see and interact with everything. If we’re holding onto sin, anger, or doubt, we’ll project that onto people, situations, and even God. But if we’re holding fast to Christ, we’ll see the world differently.

This truth calls us to examine our hearts. If cynicism, suspicion, or negativity seem to dominate your thoughts, ask: What am I filtering life through? Is my heart shaped by the purity of God’s truth, or am I projecting my brokenness onto the world?

The beauty of the Gospel is that Christ doesn’t leave us trapped in corruption. He transforms our hearts, renews our minds, and purifies our conscience. When we walk in that transformation, we begin to see life for what it really is: a place where God is working, redeeming, and calling us to reflect His goodness.

Today, consider your lens. Are you interpreting life through the purity of Christ, or through the corruption of your own brokenness? Surrender your heart to Him and let Him renew how you see—because the condition of your heart determines the clarity of your vision.

IN, Not FOR

Philippians 2:15 says, “Do everything without complaining” and verse 17 adds, “I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy.”

We are called to be joyful in all circumstances. But we are a fickle people and too often we turn into the freed Israelites in the desert — whining constantly. Finding things to grumble and complain about. Yeah we’re free, but the food is terrible! That’s why a two-week trip took 40 years! I’m reminded of this classic episode of The Ren & Stimpy Show entitled “Stimpy’s Invention”. In this particular episode Stimpy — the loveable simpleton — creates a ‘happy helmet’ that forces his pal Ren — the irritable schemer — to always be happy. Well, as the episode unfolds Ren manages to eventually destroy and free himself from the helmet and is boiling with rage. Then, from out of nowhere, he breaks out into a beaming smile and declares that he LOVES being angry and thanks his pal Stimpy for show him that. This outrageous scenario (like most comedy) is especially hilarious because it shines a mirror on us…

WE love being angry.

It is our default position. In fact, if you walked past and angry person and a deliriously happy person would be more likely to give the happy one a side-eye ‘what’s wrong with HIM’ look! But we should live lives marked by love. Lives marked by joy. Lives that demonstrate the hope that is within us. Lives which demonstrate that hope SO loudly that it causes people to ask us ‘why’. Do we do that?

Moreover, what do we do when our situation is trying or difficult or exhausting or overwhelming? How do we be joyful for that?? But here’s the thing; I don’t think we need to be joyful FOR all circumstances, we need to be joyful IN all circumstances. The situation we find ourselves in might be terrible, even unbearable. But our joy is in our hope and our hope is not in this world. Our hope is in Jesus. The Jesus who has overcome the world. The Jesus who is causing all things to work together for the good of those who love Him.

Sometimes those valleys are the consequences of sin’s corruption in a fallen world. Sometimes the valleys are caused by poor choices we’ve made. Sometimes the valleys are God showing us something we need to learn. But no matter WHY we are there, it’s important to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. We WILL emerge from the valley eventually. Either here on earth, or on the other side in glory. And THAT is what we are joyful for. The eternal promise.

That’s why we can be joyful IN all circumstances, even if we are not joyful FOR all circumstances.

Perspective on Perspective

I’ve always said that a change in perspective changes everything else, and that really came to the fore for me today. When we read prophetic books like Jeremiah, it’s easy to imagine that the “wicked people” he rebukes are those far from God, outsiders to the faith. But the more I read them the more a chilling realization set in: these are not outsiders he’s addressing—they’re believers, people who are supposed to be part of the family of God.

This shift in perspective changes everything. The harsh words and dire warnings take on a new weight when we recognize that they’re directed inward, toward those who claim to know God but live as though He doesn’t exist. It’s a reminder that being a believer isn’t just about belonging to the right group or knowing the right things; it’s about living in alignment with God’s will.

God’s rebukes through Jeremiah are a call to self-examination. Are we merely believers in name, or are we actively pursuing a life that reflects God’s holiness and love? The people of Judah had allowed their faith to become hollow, a mere shell of what it was supposed to be. They had the outward appearance of God’s people but lacked the inward devotion and obedience that He desires.

This perspective forces us to ask hard questions about our own faith. Are there areas in our lives where we’re just going through the motions? Do we, like the people of Judah, take God’s grace for granted, assuming that our status as believers exempts us from true repentance and transformation?

Jeremiah’s message is a call to wake up. To see ourselves as God sees us and to let that perspective drive us toward deeper faithfulness. It’s not enough to be part of the family of God in name only; we must live as true children of God, fully committed to His ways.

Don’t Take Too Much Credit

As I’m fond of saying, God using you to accomplish His purposes is not necessarily good news for you. Here in Isaiah we have another prime example of that in the King of Assyria who God intends to use to bring His vengeance on Israel. But what’s interesting to me in this is the idea that the King of Assyria assumes the good times will keep rolling forever.

I remember being about 20 and getting a labour job working for a guy in my church. He paid me $17.50/hour — in 2002 dollars — and the first week I worked, it was 6am starts and 5-7pm finishes 6 straight days. I made $1260 in a week! That was $65,000 a year! I was rich! I had plans for all that sweet, sweet money. But the very next week there wasn’t as much work. I would call my boss at 5am Monday and he’d say there was nothing today. Same story on Tuesday. And Wednesday. Thursday he had a small job — 4 hours — that he needed me to take care of. Suddenly that $65K annual salary wasn’t looking so likely.

Like the King of Assyria, we can think that WE did something great and now we are reaping the rewards of our good choices. And because we are so smart and savvy, those good times will keep on keeping on. But that’s not always true. Sometimes — oftentimes — they come to an end.

Everything we have it because God allows us to have it. Let’s try to keep that perspective. There may come a time when it will be taken away from us. Heaven forbid we ever end up like Job, but if we did… how would we respond? How would our response be if we lived knowing that everything we have is a loan from God. How would our response be different if we lived believing that everything we have is OWED to us because of our effort, skill, and knowledge?

Remember: a change in perspective changes everything else.