Shifting Our Perspectives
Below are some additional things that will assist in shifting our perspective when situations occur that tempt us to compare ourselves to our sisters and brothers who become blessed before us, and they previously lived a ratchet life.
Have a realistic evaluation of your own righteousness – Our righteousness comes from God.
Just because we may have practiced abstinence for a long time or gone without romantic love for a long time to continue in our pursuit of Christ above being in a relationship doesn’t mean that we are entitled to control when, or how God decides to bless us. It also does not place us above our neighbors. If we have a realistic evaluation of our own righteousness, we will be humble enough to know that it has been the grace of God that has produced the righteousness that we walk in—in our lives. Thus, it should produce a spirit of thankfulness within us instead of anger, and bitterness. This will enable us to receive what God has for us when he is ready to reward us for our obedience.
But godliness with contentment is great gain. 1 Timothy 6:6
Don’t allow the enemy to deceive you out of your inheritance by being lifted up in pride and raising yourself above someone else that you’ve compared yourself to. Don’t fall into the trap. Don’t allow yourself to be distracted. Keep your mind set on God’s perspective.
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5
Thus, having a reasonable evaluation of myself and my own righteousness, I do not expect God’s promise to me to be based off of my own righteousness because my righteousness alone is not enough. I expect God’s promise to me to be based off of God’s character in keeping his word.
Place yourself in the other person’s position, and thank God for them coming to the realization of who God is.
The prodigal son story starts out speaking of how the younger brother is the one who took his inheritance prematurely, which means that he was not yet mature. He was lacking in some way. Often, when a person is immature and refuses to humble themselves and listen to the correct way of doing things, that person has to go through some changes. That person often has to hit rock bottom in order to come to a realization of who God is. If you were at rock bottom, would you want someone to pick you up and offer you a chance at life? Yes, I think so. We ought to do the same for our brothers and sisters. We ought to place ourselves in their position to have compassion as the father did. God’s got us. If we truly believe that God is faithful as he is, we ought to be able to take the attention off of ourselves enough to celebrate and love our brothers and sisters.
Finally, if God has entrusted you to be mature, and to be an example among your peers and others; it is an honor for you. It means that God thinks highly of you in that he trusts you to do so. Man your station in which God has given you in life.Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called. 2 Corinthians 7:20
There are those who have been called to endure certain situations simply so that God would get the glory not because they have done something wrong.
As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. John 9:1-3
So, no. You don’t have to follow in the prodigals footsteps to be blessed. Abide in your calling, and allow God to use you to display what he can do. The blind man was blind from birth. That was all that he was known as which was a blind man for years, but God in an instant changed his situation for his glory. That is what God will do for those of us who remain faithful to God and steadfast not allowing bitterness, anger, or competition to rob us of what God has for us.
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