How Perspective Transforms Our Life

How do we gain a proper perspective when the world seems to be burning down all around us? Everyone has bad things happen to them, but often we let our circumstances dictate how we respond. As a longtime pastor, I’ve learned a formula to help me choose joy regardless of what is happening in my life.

I’ll never forget the lesson I learned a number of years ago from my neighbor across the street. He was a gregarious entrepreneur and high-end cabinet maker. At any moment, Gary’s warehouse was full of hundreds of thousands of dollars of one-of-a-kind custom millwork for luxury homes.

That is, until an arsonist started a fire and my friend lost everything. To make matters worse, my friend had no insurance.

When I went over to offer condolences, Gary looked as if someone had died. In the weeks and months after the catastrophe, he sank into a deep depression. When Theresa and I would take walks, we would see him sitting in his front room, staring out the front window.

Eventually, Gary recovered, and within three or so years, he had rebuilt his top-of-the-line cabinet business. He even employed a dozen or so master craftsmen.

Then, unbelievably, disaster struck again.

A spark from a blowtorch landed on a pile of sawdust. Within minutes, the new warehouse was ablaze.

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Gary’s family, employees, and friends were shocked and devastated. But I’ll never forget his reaction. With fire no. 1, he had turned inward, focused solely on himself and his abilities. With fire no. 2, he turned upward and outward, focused on God and His abilities.

Gary said that when he heard the terrible news, he started to break down. But then he remembered, I’ve been through this before.

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Focus on Gratitude and Thanksgiving

What came to mind, he said, was the passage, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21, NIV).

This time, Gary just focused on what he still had. “I chose to thank the Lord that I have a wife who cares. Thank you, Lord, for my son. Thank you, Lord, for my grandson . . .”

Then he got to work. Within forty-eight hours, he had found jobs at other cabinet businesses for all his employees. A week later, I saw him playing with his grandson on his front lawn. I went over and asked him, “Gary, how is it going?”

“Well, it is hard,” he said. Then he looked down at his grandson and said, “But you know, I have a lot.”

How would you react to such a painful situation? Everyone has bad things that happen to them. Often, we can let our circumstances dictate how we view and interpret them, and the result can be a negative experience.

As a longtime pastor, I’ve found a divine formula that is beneficial to keep in mind: Our Circumstances + Our Perspective = Our Experience (C+P=E). The battle is to get God’s perspective on all we face. Not easy, but transformative!

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How to Choose Joy in All Situations

How do we gain the right perspective and learn to choose joy? It’s all about the right perspective. The apostle Paul has a lot to say about this in the first chapter of Philippians.

First, we need to understand the power of focus.

In Philippians 1:3-6, Paul, writing from very tough circumstances, thanks God and prays confidently with joy. That’s an upward focus instead of dwelling on how bad he felt with an inward focus.

He goes on, in verses 7-11, to show an outward focus: thinking of others and praying for them so God will be glorified.

Second, we need to understand the power of purpose.

Knowing who God calls us to be and what He calls us to do makes all the difference. In Philippians 1:12-18, Paul draws from personal experience to illustrate that we, as believers, are messengers of God’s gospel and are called to help people grow in their knowledge of Christ. God can use our circumstances for His purpose!

Third, we need to understand the purpose of hope.

Only an eternal perspective (the “P” in the formula!) produces peace and joy when we face ultimate questions. In Philippians 1:18-26, Paul reminds us that deliverance is certain but that sometimes God delivers us out of our circumstances, sometimes He delivers us through our circumstances, and sometimes He delivers us unto Himself.

Fourth, we need to understand the purpose of expectations.

A final lesson from the life of Paul in Philippians 1:27-30 reminds us that the powerful concepts of focus, purpose, and hope empower us to live above our circumstances and live as God expects us to: in “a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” God wants us not to give up, give in, or shrink back from the circumstances He puts us in. What a privilege to view suffering from this perspective!

My friend Gary’s reaction to his horrible second fire enabled him to stand firm, contend, and not be afraid. That perspective was the lens through which he saw his experience, and it filled him with joy.

Whatever circumstances you find yourself in today, don’t let them dictate how to live. Instead, take steps to understand the power of focus, purpose, hope, and expectations, and learn to choose joy!

Want to learn more about how to live life above your circumstances? Rather than turn to despair, we must find power and purpose through God’s divine plan in choosing joy over hopelessness! The revelation is, despite our circumstances, we can still CHOOSE JOY!

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Written By

Chip Ingram

Founder & Teaching Pastor, Living on the Edge

Chip Ingram is the CEO and teaching pastor of Living on the Edge, an international teaching and discipleship ministry. A pastor for over thirty years, Chip has a unique ability to communicate truth and challenge people to live out their faith. He is the author of many books, including The Real God, Culture Shock and The Real Heaven. Chip and his wife, Theresa, have four grown children and twelve grandchildren and live in California.