Perspective

One definition of perspective is “a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view.” We all have a perspective and that perspective can greatly influence our outlook on life. A good perspective, a good attitude, results in a positive outlook on life, whereas a poor perspective, a bad attitude, results in a negative outlook on life. We all have ups and downs throughout the course of a year, but I think that this season of holidays, particularly Thanksgiving and Christmas, can be a great time to stop and reflect on what we ought to be focused on, what we can be thankful for and who is the Reason for the Season.

I find that when my attitude is not as good as it ought to be, that it can be very helpful to pause and remember the many things I have to thank God for. James 1:17a says that, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.”

When I think of what I can thank God for, I like to start with life itself – without God, I would not even have the breath of life. And then to have the incredible gift of salvation from my sins and eternal life through the blood, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, is the next great thing to thank God for. After that comes my wife and family, without whom l can only imagine life seeming like an empty shell.

Its easy in our society to look around ourselves and see what others have and wish that we had more. Whether its your neighbor or through the media, there is always someone with a more loving family, nicer house, newer car, more toys, bigger bank account, better job and so on and so on. Yet, if we don’t compare ourselves to others in our own society, we tend to realize that maybe we don’t have it so bad.

As Americans in the year 2017, we live better than most of the rest of the current world, and nearly the entirety of all mankind throughout history. Think about it – if you own even one car that runs, no matter how poor, you have the ability to travel quicker and more comfortably than just about everyone who ever lived before this generation. And estimates are that less than 10 percent of the world’s current population even owns a car.

How about having hot water on demand anytime of day or night? This was something that not even kings and emperors of years past could claim to have.

Instantly being able to heat food (microwaves), keeping food chilled for long periods of time (refrigerators), access to information (internet), communication (cell phones), lights, etc., are all technological advances that allow us to live a lifestyle that is more comfortable than almost all people had throughout history.

How about peace? There has not been a war fought on our soil in my lifetime – sure, there have been terrorist attacks and wars fought around the world, but it is a great blessing to be able to say that we have not been attacked for so many years.

Essentially, it is all about perspective. Thinking through a few of the things I have to be thankful for has already improved my perspective! This week, remember to thank God for every good thing in your life.