A Letter Of Forgiveness- Have A Different Perspective Series

Series: Action [#153]

A LETTER ABOUT FORGIVENESS- HAVE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE

Philemon 1:11-16

Introduction:

Are you a person that sees the glass as ½ full or ½ empty? I want each of you very quickly to take the Life Orientation Test. (The Life Orientation Test (LOT) was first created by Michael Scheier and Charles Carver in 1985 and published in Health Psychology.)

The Life Orientation Test

1. In uncertain times I usually expect the best.

A- Strongly agree B- Agree C- Neutral

D- Disagree E- Strongly disagree

2. It’s easy for me to relax.

A- Strongly agree B- Agree C- Neutral

D- Disagree E- Strongly disagree

3. If something can go wrong for me, it will.

A- Strongly agree B- Agree C- Neutral

D- Disagree E- Strongly disagree

4. I’m always optimistic about my future.

A- Strongly agree B- Agree C- Neutral

D- Disagree E- Strongly disagree

5. I enjoy my friends a lot.

A- Strongly agree B- Agree C- Neutral

D- Disagree E- Strongly disagree

6. It's important for me to keep busy.

A- Strongly agree B- Agree C- Neutral

D- Disagree E- Strongly disagree

7. I hardly ever expect things to go my way.

A- Strongly agree B- Agree C- Neutral

D- Disagree E- Strongly disagree

8. I don’t get upset too easily.

A- Strongly agree B- Agree C- Neutral

D- Disagree E- Strongly disagree

9. I rarely count on good things happening to me.

A- Strongly agree B- Agree C- Neutral

D- Disagree E- Strongly disagree

10. Overall, I expect more good things to happen to me than bad.

A- Strongly agree B- Agree C- Neutral

D- Disagree E- Strongly disagree

How to score:

* Ignore your answers to items 2, 5, 6 and 8.

* Subtotal your scores for items 1, 4 and 10 as follows:

A= 4; B=3; C=2; D=4; E=0.

* Subtotal your scores for items 3, 7 and 9 as follows:

A=0; B=1; C=2; D=3; E=4.

* Add those subtotals for an overall optimism score.

* The range is from 0 to 24- Extreme pessimism being 0 to extreme optimism being 24.

I also want to ask you which 1 of these describes your thoughts on a normal day?

* Fearful thoughts?

* Negative thoughts?

* Hopeless thoughts?

* Peaceful thoughts?

The Bible tells you what you should do with your thoughts. You should take those thoughts captive in your mind and let God deal with them. You should have a transformed mind like Jesus’ mind. You should not be fearful; but be of sound mind. You should have a mind that is controlled by the Holy Spirit.

How do you develop thoughts that are of God? How do you have the right perspective and outlook on life? Think about it- Who wants to be around someone who is negative all the time? So, if you are a pessimist, how do you change? How are you going to be different?

Philemon 1:15-16

You can have a godly perspective by…

1. Seeing the good through the bad.

Philemon was probably focused on the fact that his slave Onesimus had abandoned him; but Paul is told him that because of that, Onesimus had changed. Philemon needed to see that now he had a new brother in Christ and that Onesimus would probably serve Philemon for the rest of his life.

If you are a glass ½ empty person, you need to change your perspective. Start looking for the good instead of focusing on the bad. (Trust me, this is 1 of my greatest challenges in my life; I know how hard this is for some).

Philemon 1:11-14

You can have a godly perspective by…

2. Seeing the purpose through the pain.

Onesimus was a slave who stole from Philemon and ran away to Rome. In Rome, he met Paul (who was a good friend of Philemon). Onesimus was saved and learned a lot from Paul, (who was now in prison). Paul was telling Philemon in this letter, that the Onesimus that ran away was an useless person; but Jesus had changed him and now God was using Onesimus for a greater purpose. Paul was sending him back because that was the right thing to do; but he didn’t want to.

Christians, we must learn to see who a person is once they are saved; and not hold their past against them. It should never surprise us when lost people behave as lost people. The problem is when Christians behave as lost people. Look for God’s purpose in other Christians.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18

You can have a godly perspective by…

3. Asking “what” instead of asking “why”.

When difficult things happen to us, it is instinctive to ask why; and that is ok. It is not a sin to ask God why; but usually we do not find out why. If you get stuck on the why, it will be difficult for you to see things from the right perspective. When you ask what, then you realize that God is working; and then you can begin to see that God is not out to get you; but is doing great things through others.