Category: perspective

A Peaceful Perspective

~ Barbara ~ Leave a comment

Do you sometimes feel there’s too much noise, too much traffic, and too many demands? I can’t speak for readers in other parts of the country, but life is pretty hectic in North Jersey. On the other hand, if you live on planet Earth, it doesn’t matter whether you’re in the suburbs or the city, farming in a valley or living in hill country, turmoil will find you.

Sickness comes, debts mount, hatred invades, and opinions assault. Sin infects wherever people are found. Jesus not only knew this but experienced it, which is why His words carry weight.

He told His disciples they were about to face deeply challenging events, but they could find peace in Him. He added, “In this world you will have trouble.” That is not a maybe, but a certainty, and would sound pessimistic if He hadn’t added this clincher: “But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

 Jesus knew experientially what we can only imagine. Pain and sadness, loss and confusion, hatred and desertion—all will pass. The sorrows of this life are temporary.

We can endure what is temporary—a seedy hotel when it’s only one night, the pain of surgery when it promises relief, and tense conversations when the end is in sight. When we grasp the reality that all of life is temporary, we experience God’s peace!

Our future extends beyond what we see and feel. Anticipate the future and have peace.   

A Change in Perspective

~ Barbara ~ 1 Comment

I read these words by Charles Spurgeon and couldn’t resist sharing them:

Life is longing, sighing, crying, wasting away, and desiring.

Heaven is enjoying, possessing, and delighting one’s self in God.

Life is failure, disappointment, and regret.

These emotions are over when death comes,  

For glory dawns with satisfaction and intense contentment.*

Much of our thought life is consumed with the present and its problems. Our emotions long for something better, but our eyes watch the surrounding turmoil and see life wasting away. Disappointments mount and regrets haunt. There’s a better way to live, better thoughts to entertain.

What if we didn’t focus on the next week or next year, but on our eternal future? What if our minds rehearsed Jesus’ promise of a perfect tomorrow, and we began to assimilate that truth into our hearts?

Our perspective will change, and we’ll see joy increase, hope blossom, and anticipation grow. Glory will dawn “with satisfaction and intense contentment.”

My peace swells, and the world seems brighter when I read those words!

*Charles H. Spurgeon, Beside Still Waters, p 222.