The Right Perspective
By Jessica Brodie
When I was little, my parents told me never to look directly into the sun, for its rays could blind me. Still, I was fascinated with the sizzling golden orb, always on its steady and majestic stride from one horizon to the other, never wavering, never faltering. Always there.
So I’d take a quick peek, daring myself to look straight on. I’m not blind now, thankfully, though I did have to start wearing glasses in the sixth grade (hmmm…).
Back then, I imagined the sun revolved around the earth, because to me that’s what it looked like. After all, I stood there, bare feet planted in the sharp Florida grass, and that beautiful yellow ball took its daily arc around me and everyone else in my world.
Of course, later I learned the truth—the sun doesn’t rotate around me but the other way around. It’s our earth, small and woefully dependent, in a constant track around the heat and energy of our star, the sun. And of course, I also learned the world doesn’t revolve around me, either, a necessary fact all children must learn.
Reading the Bible this morning, I stumbled across a verse in the New Testament that reminds me of the shift in perspective I had to make:
“Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful” (Colossians 3:12-15 NLT).
In this passage, the apostle Paul is writing to the early church in Colossae, which is now modern-day Turkey, both to counter false teachings and to encourage these first Christians in how to serve with passion in the name of Jesus.
At first glance, Paul is merely telling us what attributes we should embrace in our Christian walk, but looking deeper, his words are much more than this. Paul tells these men and women to “clothe yourselves” (verse 12) with these values, to “let” this “rule in your hearts” (verse 15). He wants the people to make a conscious choice, a definitive selection, to act one way instead of another.
As Christians, Paul is saying, we are to wrap ourselves in Christ-like virtues—humility, mercy, gentleness, kindness, patience, forgiveness, peace, love, etc.—as though we are throwing a shawl, or maybe a “Christ Coat” or a “Jesus Jacket” over ourselves.
We are to shrug off our old way, self-centered thinking and behavior, and stop thinking the world revolves around ourselves, and instead to change our hearts and minds to embrace a completely opposite way of thinking: Others don’t revolve around us. No, it’s us who should revolve around them.
Think about it as this relates to John 3:16: “For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life” (NLT).
That’s how we must love the world: by giving ourselves over in sacrifice, losing ourselves in loving them, God’s people—both those who have become followers of Christ already and those who are yet-to-be Christian.
Today when I gaze at the sun, I still sometimes forget correct perspective and think for a moment that it’s revolving around me—just like when I walk in the world, sometimes I think it’s all about me and my needs, my comfort, my safety, or my happiness.
But then I remember the Truth, my perspective shifts, and I walk with God… the right way.
God bless you, friends!
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