25th November - 1st December 2024
Over the past few weeks, in conversations with different people, I’ve been reminded about the importance of perspective. Perspective is so important because it is the lens through which we view and interpret the world and every aspect of the interactions we have each and every day. It can impact our thoughts, emotions and even our actions. Perspective can also help us understand things in a different light, circumvent bias and enable us to make better decisions.
I read a powerful statement about perspective recently which said, ‘Your perspective will either become your prison or your passport’. What a challenging thought! Do we allow our perspective to constrain us or to liberate us?
You may ask why does perspective matter? One of the key reasons is that it defines how we view things and, if we do not see the full picture, if we do not hear both sides of an argument, then we can easily end up making the wrong conclusion which in turn can have unseen consequences in our own life and in the lives of others.
I often think about how perspective tends to become people’s truth. They make a decision based on what they know, what they see, what they read but the challenge is all around balance, wisdom, understanding and getting this right. Not making rash decisions, listening to more than one opinion, not allowing a popular influencer to be the only one you listen to. The reason why I say this is because it is a very hard thing to change your mind once you have come to your opinion of what you have seen, heard and decided.
In a world where there is so much fake news, bias news, differing opinions and options to chose from, I am more and more consious of the need to look to Jesus, to seek his wisdom, to understand his word and to use this as the baseline for my own decision making.
A few years ago we had a series in Glenabbey called, ‘Meals with Jesus’, when we considered the various people from different backgrounds, roles, religious views, positions in society that Jesus spent time with. It was so clear to see that Jesus showed no partiality to those he met. His perspective was not tainted by what he had observed or heard. He treated people equally, seeing past their exterior, recognising they were all made in God’s image and looking into their lives to understand and see their greatest need. And what was that need regardless of who they were? It was freedom from the bondage and condemnation of sin.
Too often we cannot see past the exterior of people’s appearance, background, religion or political views. We can so easily look at people that are different to us and, without knowing their stories, we allow our unconscious or conscious bias to inform us and so we make an assessment, a judgement and then we come to a conclusion and, in so doing, we form our own perspective.
There is a well-known phrase that I’ve heard repeated many times that, before you judge someone or come to any conclusions about them or decide to say anything about them, you really need to understand them and to do that ‘you need to walk a mile in their shoes’. Isn’t that so true and so challenging?
We need to see life from their perspective, we need to understand their back stories and until we take the time to listen and get to know them we cannot truly understand or make comment on their situation.
During our series, ‘Meals with Jesus’, one of the interactions we considered was the story of Jesus attending a meal with Simon the Pharisee. An unnamed sinful women shows up and pours out love and affection to Jesus in comparison to Simon the host, who is more interested in Jesus’ response to the woman than in the woman herself and her needs. How does Jesus respond? He takes the time to challenge Simon’s perspective!
As we take time to pray this week, let us ask God to help us see people for who they really are and then to respond appropriately to their needs. Let’s ask God to challenge our perspective. Think of people you know who are isolated, vulnerable, broken, struggling and ask God to help you respond to them as Jesus would and not to neglect or ignore them, as so often can be the case. When we see, what then? Do we respond or do we ignore? As newcomers arrive at our church do we make them feel welcome or do we keep our distance? What about the person who started to attend homegroup? How have we engaged with them to help them to become part of the family? When a new neighbour arrives in our street do we welcome them into the neighbourhood? The list could go on and on but ask God to help you see people for who they really are and for each of us to become available to be used by God to bring love, hope and light into their lives and situations.
Written by David Mairs
MONDAY
When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. [Luke 7:36]
Heavenly Father, I ask that you would open up opportunities for me to spend time with family and friends that do not as yet know you in a personal way. Help me to grab the opportunities that arise, especially as Christmas approaches and to be myself when I am in their company. Help me to be relaxed and to see them through your eyes, to have compassion and love. Help me to not be judgemental of their choices and lifestyle but instead live in a way that makes them think twice about why I have decided to follow you in my life. Help me to make a real difference in their lives by showing something of your love to them through my love for them. Amen.
TUESDAY
A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. [Luke 7:37-38]
Heavenly Father, as I consider the response of this woman who lived a sinful life, help me to comprehend more deeply the reality of my own sin and the price you had to pay so that I could know freedom from the bondage and the punishment of sin. Help me to love you with all my heart, soul and mind. I struggle sometimes to connect emotionally and intellectually with the truth of what it means to be forgiven and I am so thankful for the recent insights into the magnitude of your love for me as we have been looking at Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. Lord, I worship you from the depths of my heart as I consider your love for me. Amen.
WEDNESDAY
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is – that she is a sinner.’ [Luke 7:39]
Heavenly Father, give me eyes to see people where they are. Give me compassion and love for those I know who need to come to that place in their lives where they recognise their need of a Saviour. Lord, give me the strength of faith and boldness to be a witness for you. May those I know and love feel that they can reach out and speak to me about my faith. May they feel they can ask questions of me. Will you open the doors of opportunity for me? Will you go before me and prepare the way for me to be a faithful witness for you? Amen.
THURSDAY
Jesus answered him, ‘Simon, I have something to tell you.’ ‘Tell me, teacher,’ he said. [Luke 7:40]
Heavenly Father, help me to hear your voice. Do you have something you want to tell me? Help me to be open to the prompting of your Spirit in every aspect of my life. Help me to seek you and acknowledge you in everything I do. Father, I want to be teachable. Help me to put aside my pride and selfishness and allow you to transform my life as I seek to read, listen and apply your word into my life. Amen.
FRIDAY
‘Two people owed money to a certain money-lender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?’ Simon replied, ‘I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.’ ‘You have judged correctly,’ Jesus said.
[Luke 7:41-43]
Heavenly Father, thank you for saving me. Thank you for sending your only Son, Jesus, into this world to pay the debt for my sins that I could never pay. Help me to realise I was dead in sin, totally helpless and unaware of my need of you. Help me to recognise how much I have been forgiven – my past, present and future sins have all been dealt with. Today I want to shout out loud, ‘Hallelujah, what a Saviour’. Thank you for saving me. I can’t express in words what it means, but help me to be a light in this dark world that leads people towards you. Amen.
SATURDAY
Then he turned towards the woman and said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven – as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.’ [Luke 7:44-47]
Heavenly Father, help me to worship you in spirit and in truth. Today, I want to lift up the name of your Son, Jesus. I want to sing his praises and declare his majesty as the King of kings and Lord of lords. Help me to express my love for you and to be willing to use my gifts and talents for you. Father, I want to be someone who glorifies you in all I do and builds up your church. Help me to shine for you, help others to recognise your presence with me, in and through all I say and do. Help me to love you in response to knowing you. Forgive me for the times I mess up and help me to grow in wisdom and understanding as your child. Amen.
SUNDAY
Then Jesus said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ The other guests began to say among themselves, ‘Who is this who even forgives sins?’ Jesus said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.’ [Luke 7:48-50]
Heavenly Father, thank you that saving faith brings peace. Thank you for the peace of God that invades my heart and is hard to understand. Father, even when the darkness seems to surround me, when the circumstances of life are not what I would choose, I ask you to help me to keep trusting in you, to hold on to you and, when I struggle to do that, remind me that your promise is to hold me in the palm of your hand. Father, as I trust you and come to you with all of the challenges and the joys of life, may I know your continual peace each and every day. Amen.