Think Spiritually

"When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd

coming toward him,

he said to Philip,

'Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?'

He asked this only to test him,

for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

Philip answered him,

'Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!'"

There were way more people than anyone ever expected to show up.  As the masses gathered in around the hillside to listen to the lesson they hoped would come, the disciples marveled at the scope of the crowd.  

"I never imagined this many people would be interested in what He has to say."

"Well, I think they're more interested in seeing some more miracles."  Word of His mind-blowing feats had drawn the attention of many: the water changing into wine, the healings, not to mention the powerful teachings that no one can explain coming from an uneducated, carpenter's son.   

Jesus drew crowds wherever He went.  God was drawing people to the Truth in the same way He does today.  Once I begin to follow Him, however, I will discover a dichotomy within myself: my fleshly mind naturally focuses on the obvious and physical side of situations, like Philip did above, while God's Spirit prompts me to see things with His eyes.  If I only focus on what I can see with my physical eyes or comprehend based on past experiences, I will miss out on all He is doing behind the scenes that can only be seen with spiritual eyes.

Oswald Chambers puts it all in perspective when he wrote, "Common sense is not faith, and faith is not common sense; they stand in the relation of the natural and the spiritual: of impulse and inspiration.  Nothing Jesus Christ ever said is common sense, it is revelation sense, and it reaches the shores where common sense fails."

Following Jesus means I'll need to shed my rational and reasonable side and begin to look at things from His perspective. 

Problems

I used to be fond of quoting Murphy's Law which states, "If anything can go wrong, it will go wrong."  Besides being a pessimistic approach to life, this way of thinking also expects the worst out of every situation.  I imagine that A.A.Milne's character, Eeyore, from the beloved world of Winnie the Pooh carried this kind of attitude.

Although it is quite easy to see all the difficulties that creep up within the parameters of a normal day, a simple change in my outlook can make a world of difference.  Instead of looking at troubles as problems which wreak havoc, I can see them with spiritual eyes.  

God can use any situation for His glory. There is nothing so big and difficult that He wrings His hands as He wonders how He'll work it all out.  As Jeremiah prayed, "Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm.  Nothing is too hard for you."  (Jeremiah 32:17)

Whenever a problem or snafu creeps up in my day, therefore, I have the option of viewing it as an opportunity to trust God and a chance for Him to show His might and power.  When I make that choice, instead of dreading the difficulties, I'll find myself looking forward to the display of His supremacy and sovereignty that will soon follow.

God will use bad for good.  The only question is: To which will I pay attention?  The bad, or the good?

Choosing the perspective of Christ requires that I consider every crisis to be a vessel of His goodness, grace and mercy.

Delays

There is nothing more frustrating than driving in rush hour traffic when I have an appointment.  As I creep along the interstate, my mind calculates how much time I have left before my meeting and ultimately, how late I will be in arriving at my destination.

It's hard not to see delays as inconveniences or disruptions to my plans.  If I could see with a heavenly viewpoint for just one day, however, I would be amazed at all the accidents a setback diverted, how the time spent waiting in traffic was used to align the schedules of those who He purposed for me to cross paths with later that day, or when I was spared from heartache because of a delay.

Part of trusting God means I can choose to see delays and slowdowns as a part of His plan.  His timing is perfect, but it does not always meet up with my timetable.  Just because I have an appointment or a task to finish in a certain allotment of time does not mean that God's got the same plan for me that day.  When I stubbornly stick to my own agenda despite the fact that nothing seems to be going my way, I will live a frustrated and stress-filled life.

If, however, I choose to divert my attention away from the traffic creeping along all around me, the cashier moving as slow as molasses or the customer service agent who insists on going through all the troubleshooting steps, and focus on God as the giver of all good things, peace will fill my soul. (James 1:17 , Psalm 4:8)

Choosing the perspective of Christ requires that I perceive delays as divine adjustments in my schedule to more closely align it with His.

Suffering

I go out of my way to avoid suffering.  If I had a choice between bearing a sinus headache for a day and teaching a class of preschoolers the day after gorging on Halloween candy, I'd definitely choose the children, as challenging as that would be.  Enduring pain is never something I desire.

God, however, has a different plan.  He uses suffering as a tool to mature and purify my faith. (Hebrews 2:10, Malachi 3:3)  Going through painful situations works to humble me and weaken me to such a point that I become desperate for the Source of my strength.  When I am down on my knees with nowhere else to turn, I cry out to Him.  It is then that I gain a wider view of God as He comforts as only He can.  (2 Corinthians 1:3)

How else will I experience that tender side of God unless I'm wounded and in need of care?  How else will I get to see His healing power unless I'm in need of healing?  How else will I begin to understand His mercy unless I experience it firsthand?  

Joni Eareckson Tada, who knows a little about suffering, said this: "The world has a philosophy that says, 'What can't be cured must be endured.' Christians have a philosophy that says, 'What can't be cured can be enjoyed.'"

Only someone who has reaped the benefits from suffering would be able to say such a thing.  When learning to accept where God has place me, I begin to see the fruit that is produced in my life:  Benefits like a greater dependency on God, a more acute awareness of His power in my life, a mind like Christ's, a better understanding of how Jesus suffered for me, and more wisdom and discernment from God.  

Choosing the perspective of Christ requires that I look forward to suffering as precious times of purification.

I'm naturally rich in common sense, but many times lacking in spiritual perception.  Purposefully deciding to see things through spiritual eyes, however, while increase its acuity.  I will find that problems become opportunities for God to show His power, delays are adjustments in my schedule to more closely align it with His, and suffering is a tool used to mature and purify.  With this kind of point of view, there is nothing in this life that will get me down.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I will choose to see things from God's perspective.

How often do I react negatively toward delays instead of thinking about how God may use them?

When do I avoid suffering instead of seeing it as one of the most powerful tools God can use in my life?