So back in South Africa I was reminded a bit about perspective. Every single person has a different perspective, which I’ve known, but you really don’t think about others even if you like to think that you do. Perspective is the way that someone views something, someone, an action, a comment, or literally anything. It would be so much more convenient if people could see your perspective exactly how you do. But you know we are all fearfully and wonderfully made, but not in the same way.
Community can really bring out some not so nice parts of us while bringing great opportunities to grow.
A hypothetical scenario, I leave my bag in a corner of the room and now people look at it and get all sorts of feelings…Joy is angry because that’s where she wanted her stuff and she knows I did it on purpose. Patience is confused and upset because she is constantly asking me to put my things away and I clearly never do. Fred is ok because he thinks that seems out of the way. I on the other hand just set it there for a second and am about to move it again which result in all new perspectives!
So now Joy is angry because everyone is just so selfish. Patience is depressed because no one listens to her. Fred is feeling happy, but a little tense because of the other negative feelings around. And I am just moving my stuff thinking about all the things except how everyone just reacted to my action.
These reactions may seem a little ridiculous, but everyone’s perspective is their reality. That means that unless someone is aware enough to realize what went on and explain to everyone, these feelings will just remain. If Joy and Patience do not check in and ask what my intentions were, and even if they do they already believe I was leaving my bag their to intentionally hurt or bother them.
It’s a hard scenario that we often get caught in because why would we look outside of our box of what we believe to be true and try to look at it through a different perspective?!
Unfortunately, I don’t think there is an easy fix. Typically improvements come with a little uncomfortableness, so embracing the uncomfortable can be one step. The rest should be able to be attained and maintained by focusing on God. Prayer and reading His Word to see what he says about things that we may have skewed perspectives on will always bring positive results. Basically, we need to seek out and mind God’s perspective and ask Him to give us the same.
Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”
