There are lots of reasons people get discouraged and give up. Many of them are obvious, but most of them boil down to a lack of success in some area of life. We fail in our relationhips, we fail in our finances, we fail in our jobs, we fail in our emotional or physical well-being. Then there are other people who seem to be doing very well by outward standards, but who lose their passion for God.
The problem often starts with our inability to understand success and failure from God’s perspective. Our apparent successes can turn out to be failures by God’s standards. For instance, we might become financially successful because the pursuit of money has become our goal in life. Yet our apparent success turns out to be an idolatry which drives us away from God.
On the flip side, our apparent failures can turn out to be successes. We might invest a lot of time in discipling a person who then walks away from God. Yet our apparent failure has driven us much deeper into the knowledge and compassion of Christ and drawn us closer to him.
It’s always a good idea to ask the Lord whether a success or a failure is apparent or real. The difference is in the magic word “perspective.” And the bottom line is this. Whose perspective we are adopting - God’s or ours?
Recently I got a new pair of glasses. I soon discovered the lenses were not adjusted properly because I couldn’t focus when it came to reading. I had to return the glasses and get a new pair of lenses made which worked better.
When you are trying to make sense of the things that are happening to you, the best thing to do is ask God to sharpen your focus. In 2 Corinthians 4:18, Paul uses two different words for “seeing” to describe two kinds of vision: ordinary vision and spiritual vision. Ordinary vision is blurred when it comes to seeing spiritual reality. Only spiritual vision enables us to see things from God’s perspective and get past superficial perceptions.
When things come into focus this way, it’s amazing how often everything turns around. Successes become failures and failures become successes. We need to be delivered from the consequences of false success and false failure, for both are devastating to our faith and our walk with God. Finding focus is the answer.
How do you get it? Same way I got it. You send your old perspective back and get a new one.
How does that happen? By asking God for his Spirit to show you what his Word says and by asking the Holy Spirit to make a direct application to the circumstances you are facing.
Jesus said the same thing in different words: the truth shall make you free.
We need to ask God for the gift of focus. It will set you free.
CONSIDER PARTNERING WITH DAVID & ELAINE CAMPBELL IN HELPING TO SUSTAIN THEIR ACTIVE MINISTRY.
AWAKENING MINISTRIES // FOUNDATION of FAITH Project
Foundation of Faith Project is strengthening generations in faith and bringing beautiful changes to the communities around them. Through teaching, mentoring and coaching, many are finding out who they are and who they are destined to be. They are bringing more to their world. David Campbell is the key leader in this initiative and you can support him financially directly through Awakening Ministries.
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