Join us this Sunday! In-Person 9:00am & 10:45am, Online 9:00am, 10:45am & 5:00pm

Join us this Sunday! In-Person 9:00am & 10:45am, Online 9:00am, 10:45am & 5:00pm

Join us at the next Sunday worship service:
In-Person
9:00am & 10:45am,
Online 9:00am, 10:45am & 5:00pm

A Different Perspective

“That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” – 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.

George Bernard Shaw once said, “progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” Intuitively we know that to be true. But change is only good when it contributes to growth. Ellen Glasgow said, “all change is not growth, as all movement is not forward.” Change for the sake of change isn’t a good thing. It becomes a good thing when change enables us to grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ.

One of the things that can happen to Christians is the idea that we have no problem with good change (the changes we want) but not when the changes cause painful and uncomfortable times. Maybe we need to look at this from a different perspective. Life is a series of problem-solving opportunities. And that includes the changes in your life. The changes you face will either defeat you or develop you – depending on how you respond to them. And those changes can keep you at arm’s length from God or bring Him closer.

Unfortunately, most people fail to see how God wants to use problems for good in their lives. They react impulsively and resent their problems rather than pausing to consider what benefit they might bring.

God can use change to perfect you. Change, when responded to correctly, can build your character and your faith.  Romans 5:3-4 says, “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.”

So, while we may see something as pointless, horrible or impossible to change, God sees it differently. And since His thoughts are always the truth, we should attempt to look for them. God is still at work in your life – even when you do not recognize it or understand it. 

Discussion Questions:

  1. The way for us to remain grounded in stressful times is to seek His view. Agree or disagree and why?
  2. How can we better see God’s perspective in the days ahead?

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