Cindy Powell

Perspective: A particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view.

Peace: Freedom from disturbance; quiet and tranquility.

Perspective of peace: A particular attitude or way of regarding circumstances that frees us from disturbance and promotes quiet and tranquility in our souls. (Cindy’s suggested definition. 🙂 )

I write about perspective a lot. I write about it a lot because I need to write about it a lot! Perspective determines how we view and filter circumstances. Since perspective filters how we view circumstances, it also ultimately determines how we respond to circumstances.

And there have been a lot of circumstances to respond to lately.

As I’ve written before (here and here), our natural response to challenge and heartache is often fear. But we can never allow fear to dominate. Even as we weep with those who weep, we must continually adjust our perspective to focus on what is good.

This is something I’ve personally had to learn over and over again. I don’t have a naturally sunny and optimistic personality. Some people do, but that just isn’t how I’m wired. I think and feel deeply. If I want peace and joy to abound in my life (and who doesn’t!), I’ve had to learn to take my thoughts captive. I’ve had to learn to rejoice in all things. I’ve had to learn to focus on what’s good.

And believe me, I’m still learning!

Because when I forget—well—it isn’t pretty.

I’ve had to “remember” a few times lately. I’ve had to remember to recalibrate my focus—to magnify God and His goodness, rather than the world and its problems.

I have a feeling  a lot of other people may need a little perspective recalibration too. Since my words can  miss the mark, I want to let His words do the “recalibrating” on this subject:

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus (Phil.4:6-7).

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you (Phil. 4:8-9).

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! (Is. 26:3).

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory (Col. 3:1-3).

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne (Heb.12:1-3).

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus (Eph.2:4-7).

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit (Rom.15:13).

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus (1 Thes. 5:16-18).

Beloved, this is His will … that we be joyful always in Him. It is a choice, not a feeling. And if it is His will, then it is possible in all circumstances. His grace is sufficient. Our hope is in Him. Our peace is in Him. Our strength is in Him. Our security—the only real place of safety and security on the planet—is in Him. We are hidden in Christ. In Him we live and move and have our being. And in any and all circumstances—we can still find joy in Him.

But we need to learn to magnify Him more than the hurtful, and even horrible, things that regularly surround around us.

If we do, we just might find that a perspective of peace—the perfect peace that passes all human understanding—leaks out of us …

And into the anxious world around us.

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Here is the podcast link for this week’s devotion:  Monday Morning Musings – The Perspective of Peace  (Note: something happened to my original podcast feed and I had to start a new one as I could no longer post to the old one – so if you were subscribed before, you will have to resubscribe using the new link )

And the Sound Cloud Link: