My husband pressured washed our backyard patio over
the weekend. All the patio furniture was still in the yard from the weekend
cleaning. I admit I was not motivated at all to move the patio furniture back
onto the patio. The patio furniture is old and we have a lot of pieces so we
really have not been able to rearrange our patio. As I was spending time with God
outside this morning, I asked the Lord to give me a new perspective on life. As
you know Jesus is a great teacher, so instead of just answering my prayers immediately,
He placed upon me to rearrange the patio furniture. Of course, I was a bit
dumbfounded, not only did I not want to do this, I had no idea how this had anything
to do with changing my perspective in life!
Before I began placing my patio furniture back, I
asked the Lord to give me creativity and motivation. I began placing the
furniture in places on my patio that I had not done before. When I was done, my
patio felt completely different. I actually liked where the pieces where placed
now and felt where the furniture had been placed would better serve me. I
stepped back from my work and sensed I had a new perspective on my backyard. I
now have a space to drink my coffee in the morning and read my Bible.
Tips
on how you can gain a different perspective in life when everything seems the
same or you feel like you keep going around the same “mountains:”
1. Change your focus.
What has been your focus on? All that is wrong, circumstances that are
stressful or overwhelming, what you don’t have? Focus on what is good, praiseworthy
and of a good report.
2. Change your thoughts.
What has consumed the majority of your thoughts? Worry, anxiety, fear, doubt? Replace
all thoughts that are negative with what is good and right.
3. Change the way you see God.
What do you believe about God? That He is punishing you, mad at you,
withholding goodness from you? Renew your passion for Christ by allowing Him to
pour His unconditional love to you, this means you don’t have to do anything or
be anyone to receive.
4. Change the way you see yourself.
Have you been overly critical of yourself, do you beat yourself up when you don’t
perform perfectly for others, do you believe that you don’t have what it takes?
Speak life over yourself, what God says about you and believe the Greater One
resides inside of you to equip and empower you.
5. Change the way you see other people.
See people through the “lenses” of God. Some people are challenging and it
would benefit you to speak what you want to see in their lives instead of what
they present to you.
6. Change your environment.
If you can go on a short vacation or take one or two days where you can go
explore a different area. You can even just go somewhere that you have never
been before.
7. Change your furniture arrangement.
Rearrange one of your rooms in your home, or even your outdoor living space.
8. Change your attitude.
Be intentional about setting your mind on your blessings. Write down or say out
loud daily what you are thankful for. All through the day keep a list or reflect
on what you are grateful for.
9. Change your view about that problem
in your life that seems impossible. You may not can do
anything about the problem in your life that is impossible, but God can do what
you are not able to. God is the God of the impossible. Stop believing the lie, ”there
is no way.”
10. Change the way you see life.
Nothing is permanent, not even that issue in your life that has been going on
for years. We all have good and bad days, and sometimes the bad days last a
little longer than we would like. Ask God to show you the good in all the bad that
has happened in your life.
11. Change the way you look at old
problems. We can get discouraged if we expect old issues to remain
the same. Spark the flame of hope for those “dead, dry” places and people in
your life. Clear the slate in what your expectation in that things will always
stay the way that they are, and that the people in your life will stay the way
they are. Even clear the slate in your own life that you believe you will
always be a certain way.
Ask God to give you “new eyes to see,” and a “new
heart” to transform the way you view life. If you keep doing the same things and believing
the same things, then you will continue to get the same results. Changing your
perspective can change your entire life. You don’t have to deny reality, you
just need to believe that all things are possible (Matthew 19:26), and God promises to work all
things out for good to those who love Him and are called according to His
purposes (Romans 8:28).
