Changing perspective

So many times we have things going on, we are serving and working and it seems not everyone is on board.  We have been given a job and we have been told to carry it out, nut not everyone received the same email from God. We must convey that message to our support team and hope they get on board. They must trust that we actually have received a Word, a clear path laid to us by God. That is not always easy, for them to wholly trust us and move forward because sometimes we are given daunting tasks that we let alone our support team may find improbable. They have to be able to see through our eyes and we must be able to understand theirs. It’s not our strength, our plans, our intelligence, our know how that matters, it is God and His perspective that matters. So we are going to look at a few examples of God’s perspective and how things changed (and didn’t change) when that perspective was shared.

2Ki 6:8  Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp. 

2Ki 6:9  And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down. 

2Ki 6:10  And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice. 

2Ki 6:11  Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel? 

2Ki 6:12  And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.

The king of Syria was sore troubled, for he had a spy in his midst that was telling all that he planned to the enemy. Yet not so, he did not have a spy, the other side had a man of God and the king's servants said this man of God was a superman for he heard what the king said in his very bed chamber. What a testimony this mighty man of God had.

2Ki 6:15  And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? 

2Ki 6:16  And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. 

2Ki 6:17  And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. 

Elisha was a man of God. He had the fear of his enemies, the respect of his own government, and a testimony to the people, all knew he was a man of God. How much today do we need a man like this!

The king of Syria sent a mighty force after this man of God, but the man of God had a mightier force. He had the armies of God encompassed round about him. He was not afraid.

The servant was scared and fearful, and rightfully so, for I believe in this circumstance some trepidation was necessary.  He could not see what Elisha saw.

The man of God, who had the Spirit of the Lord on him, who had a double portion of the Spirit that Elijah had, that did many great works for God, was not troubled nor afraid. For he had eyes that saw through the earthly to the spiritual. The servant saw through the eyes as of a man of the prophet, a servant. The Prophet had eyes that saw through God's viewpoint. Elisha had to pray for the servant to see things from his perspective.

How many times do we need to see through the eyes of another to get the right perspective?

The husband through the wife's eyes? The wife through the husbands? How many marriages are struggles because they each only see their way and do not try to see through their spouse’s eyes?

The lay person through the pastor's eyes? The pastor through the people's?

The son through the father? The daughter through the mother?

Neighbor through neighbor eyes?

The list could go on and on and on.

How much trouble would we avoid if we had tried to see it through their eyes? their perspective? For in the eyes of another may lay the truth to a thing, instead of our own conclusions and judgments leapt too.

When we pray for one another do we pray for God to fix them, or do we pray that we might see as they do? For God may be talking to them and telling them what He wants from them and all you are seeing is what you think and see and feel. 

Perhaps instead of praying for them to get right with God, as we are want to do in a perceived issue, perhaps we need to pray that God get us right with Him and them.

For we (by we I mean the collective we, you and I) are not always right, we are not always the center of the universe. We are not the only ones used and led by God. When we see through the eyes of another the issue might be clearer, and God might just show up and show us a great and mighty work in our relationships. We might also just make our relationship better by seeing what they see, what they think, what they are doing and in seeing what they see we might understand them better, and that will make us better as a person.

Example one:

Act 27:10  And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives. 

Act 27:11  Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul. 

Paul saw things through a spiritual eye and Paul shared it with the people and exhorted them and lifted them up with what he saw and what God showed Him.

It is very important to note that he did this at least 2 times in this account but was not believed, but Paul did not despair nor give up, nor did he say "serves them right for not listening to me they get what they get”. He kept trying to be heard and get his message across, and when the people were ready they heeded his message.

Act 27:22  And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship. 

Act 27:23  For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, 

They heeded not Paul but believed the guy who was a more experienced sailor, who knew, KNEW what he was doing and failed to listen to the man who knew the Master of the Storm. Paul was a man who had a testimony as a preacher, a man of God, but he wasn't a sailor so they did not listen, he was a prisoner and as all men jaded through life from life do, they thought he was just looking for a way to make the trip a little longer as he was going to certain doom.

They should have trusted Paul, if only they could have looked through his eyes, saw what he saw, their perspective would have changed.

Example 2.

Act 7:55  But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 

Act 7:56  And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. 

Act 7:57  Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, 

If they could have seen what he saw, if they only knew the Spirit of God as he did. If they were in tune with God as this man of God was then they would have changed so very drastically. Their actions and anger would have changed the course of history.

They were so caught up in his “blasphemy” his words that they m.issed all that was going on around them

So many times we get caught up in what we perceive as the way things should be, we do not listen to the Spirit, or the other person. 

We are so certain we know better, that we know what is best. We know that this can not possibly be the right path for God didn't tell us, why would He tell them? are we not more righteous than they? They have no idea how to make things work, I know how to make things work. God tells me things.

How often are we this type of person? How often should we be praying God help me to see what they see? God help me to understand their perspective, for if this is truly of God and you pray honestly and heartfelt truly longing to see and understand, He still may not show you, but ask instead that you trust Him.

God works in many lives and hearts, don't get so caught up in your way of doing things, in your fear, in your prowess and intelligence that you can not listen to the counsel of others. God has many people, and may not always use, just you, to get things done even in your own family, church etc.

When you are the one God is working through, God is telling you to stand and others say flee, pray that the Lord will open their eyes to the truth, and that they might see from your perspective. Pray and state your case, do not, and i repeat do not, bludgeon with your righteousness. For therein lies the way of stubbornness on their part and on yours.

It is so especially important that we see through the eyes of the Lord and His Spirit, for we may just need a better perspective. 

It is a good thing for us to look through other eyes and see what they see as we walk through this world.

Important to see God's Way, good to see through the eyes of others. we are not alone in this world if we but change our perspective.