We Are Looking At Our Life’s Situations From A Spiritual Perspective If… Series

Introduction

I remember as a young boy watching my daddy cut the yard with his gas pushed mower longing for the day that I could do that. Today, at 67 years old, I got to tell you that I dread cutting grass; I hate how long it takes to cut two acres. Don’t get me wrong, I am thankful that I got a zero turn rather than a push mower, but my perspective about cutting grass has changed.

My mother when I was growing up was big into her children having nap time each afternoon. I remember laying in the bed and thinking to myself how stupid this is because no one sleeps when there is daylight outside. Today, at age 67, I treasure my nap time. I try to plan me a nap time in my schedule each day and I am a little sad if my day was so hectic that I didn’t get to take a nap. My perspective about napping has changed.

I can remember both of my parents telling me when you leave your room for a little while turn off your window unit and turn off your lights. I did not understand their logic because I am going back in there eventually and then I will have to turn them back on; it is easier just to leave them on. Then, I got out on my own, and one day in the mail I got this thing called a utility bill and they wanted to take a whole bunch of my money. You know what happened. If no one is in the room, I go around turning out the lights. If we are leaving the house for any amount of time, I raise the thermostat so that it will not come on as much. What happened? My perspective changed.

Age changed my perspective; financial responsibility changed my perspective and another thing that changed my perspective is coming to know Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of your life. The Bible tells me when I accepted Christ as my Savior, all things became new. And so, I got to realize that I have a spiritual lens, a new perspective, now to look at life through. My question is: Am I using it? So, I want to see today if I am using my spiritual perspective to look at my life situations. So, if you have your Bible turn with me to 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.

Scripture

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NKJV)

16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.

17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,

18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Point #1

I AM USING MY SPIRITUAL PERSPECTIVE THAT GOD HAS GIVEN ME IF I CAN LOOK AT MY PRESENT LIFE SITUATION AND SEE THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF WHAT IS TAKING PLACE.

16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.

Paul is saying that my body is not holding up. This outer shell is aging quicky. Paul knows that it is naturally aging but he also recognizes that he has put his body through a lot. I can understand why Paul would say that. I have gone through a lot this year with the elevated white blood cells, the torn humerus head and tomorrow I get a root canal which I hope will stop my ear racks. And I feel l like I have aged a lot this year. And if that is how I feel, I know exactly what Paul is saying reading from the Scripture what his body has gone through. 2 Corinthians 11:25 (NKJV)

25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep.

And that is not all, I remember in Acts 28:3 (NKJV)

3 But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand.

I can see Paul saying that my body is giving out. And rightly so. But that is not the only way that Paul looked at it. But there are some Christians that can only see this one side- I am suffering and I am a Christian. Why am I suffering? And then, there are other Christians that will pretend they are not suffering. You know that they are hurting; they knew that they are hurting but they will tell you that all is well with them. That is not some super saint way to look at life by denying it is occurring; that is phony Christianity.