Live Like There's No YesterdaySample

Day Two

Changing Our Perspective

Scripture: Psalm 100; Philippians 4:6–7

Just as physical nearsightedness keeps us from seeing things far away, emotional nearsightedness can cause us to look at our immediate losses, struggles, and unmet needs so much that we can’t focus on a broader vision that puts everything in perspective. 

Imagine how freeing it would be to see our emotions and heartbreaks through the lens of clarity. We could process the memories, regrets, and resentments of the past in such a way that we could have a broad perspective of their impact on our lives.

I’ve come to see that there is something that works like a pair of glasses for our minds and hearts. It is the lens of thankfulness, which allows us to look up from our limited focus and see a bigger picture of our lives today and our hope for tomorrow.

“Do not be anxious about anything,” Paul writes, “but in every situation . . . with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7, emphasis mine). The psalmist encourages us to “enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him” (Psalm 100:4).

It’s easy to become distracted by all the burdens, betrayals, successes, and failures from the past we carry with us every day. In time we become worn down, losing our sense of freedom and joy. But when we choose to be thankful in the midst of our troubles and frustrations, we begin a healing process that helps us live beyond our past. We are able to see situations and people in fresh ways.  

When we look at life through the perspective of thankfulness, it also becomes easier to see and experience God’s love. This in turn leads to freedom. It’s exhilarating to be released from the fears that grip us, the regrets that gnaw at us, and the hurts and scars that trigger our traumas. We can be free to remember the past without letting it haunt or inhibit us.

When has a sense of gratitude changed your perspective on a situation, even when the situation didn’t change?