A Matter of Perspective

By Lance Cordle

    Walking past the house in which I grew up, brought several things to my mind. The yard in which I played baseball, and which seemed so big to me as a boy, seemed much smaller through the eyes of an adult. The driveway, which seemed so long to a young and inexperienced driver (especially when driving in “Reverse”) appeared much shorter to one who has been driving for many years.
    The distances, however are the same (even though a fence now invades part of the yard); it is my perspective that has changed.
    If we understand perspective, it can be very useful. However, we must not allow our view of life to be distorted by an imperfect or improper perspective. Indeed, we must maintain the perspective of looking to and through Jesus in all that we do or say (Hebrews 12:1-3). Please consider the following matters of perspective:

• Joshua and the Israelites undoubtedly appeared strange to the people of Jericho, marching around the city, but from God’s perspective, they were going to win a great victory (Joshua 6:16)
• Goliath towered over David and felt utterly confident in his size and ability, but David went through the confrontation as an instrument of God (1 Samuel 17:45, 46).
• To the people of Judea during the time of John the Baptizer, his death in his early thirties must have seemed a waste, but to God, it was a mission accomplished (Matthew 11:7-14).
• To the people passing by the cross, Jesus was a failure. They said, “He saved others, let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” (Luke 32:35). To Christ, it was completing the will of God (John 17:4).
• To the arrogant, self-reliant, religiously blind world, preaching of the cross was foolishness, but to penitent sinners, it was (and is ) the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18).
• To the arrogant Christians in Corinth, Paul and the other apostles were “spectacles” and “fools for Christ’s sake,” but to God they were faithful and successful servants (1 Corinthians 4:8-13).
• To the world, Christians are losers (because all things taken into consideration are worldly), but to and through Christ, we are “more than conquerors” (Romans 8:31-39, Revelation 2:10)!

- Lance Cordle preaches the Calvert City Church of Christ in Calvert City, KY.  He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.calvertchurchofchrist.com