Seeing things from God’s poiny of view”

The New International Version Chapter 1

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Introduction: Two children were playing on a hillside, when they noticed that the hour was nearing sunset, and one said, wonderingly: "See how far the sun has gone! A little while ago it was right over that tree, and now it is low down in the sky."

"Only it isn’t the sun that moves; it’s the earth. You know, Father told us," answered the other. The first one shook his head. The sun did move, for he had seen it, and the earth did not move, for he had been standing on it all the time.

"I know what I see," he said triumphantly. "And I believe Father," said his brother. There are different kinds of seeing. There's seeing with your eyes, but that's the least important kind. The most important kind of seeing is to see things from God's perspective, to see yourself as God sees you, to see your neighbor and the world and God's plans as He sees them. So, what is it that I need to understand in order to see things from God’s perspective?”

Life is full of Adversity

Conflict, stress, pressure, and shattered dreams are some things that all of us face as we live daily. (John 16:33)

I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart I have overcome the world. Since we can’t avoid being in the world because you’re here the text suggest that as long as we are here, trouble will be something that you and I will encounter. You get sick, the wife or husband gets sick, the baby gets sick, Grandmama dies, granddaddy dies, other relatives die. Money gets funny, roof springs a leak, car breaks down, insurance and mortgage payment escalates, every time you turn around there is some adverse condition popping up that you didn’t ask for and don’t want to deal with but I have too. Here in our text James says to me that I should “consider it all joy” James! you’ve got to be done lost it. You are not going through what I am going through. How can I count it all Joy? I can count it joy because Jesus said, what ever you are going through or will go through I have already overcome it.

What can I do to see things from God’s perspective?

Rom. 12:2

Isa. 55:8-9

Matt. 13:15

Maintaining a Christlike perspective is easy when life is going in the right direction, but when the storms come and the wind is blowing fiercely, it is difficult to maintain our composure, our finances and most of all our once stable resources and mindsets. Maybe God is refining us with the adversity and we just can’t see, because in order to see it we must have a positive attitude while we are going through the pain. Its alright to ask, why am I going through this but we have got to be able to see it from god’s point of view. That means remembering, If God is for you, He is more than the whole world against you. It means remembering to “trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to your own understanding but in all of your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths. It means to Hold to His hands, God’s unchanging hand, build your hopes on things eternal, hold to God’s unchanging hand.

Why is it beneficiary for us to see things from God’s perspective?

Seeing things from God's perspective helps us stay centered on the things that are important and helps us feel a connection with God that we might otherwise miss. When we feel connected to God and his church, we have a greater sense of the Kingdom. God loves us and He works in our lives to produce a mature faith and to give us the stamina to face difficult situations. His desire is to make us perfect and complete in Him. Yes we can rejoice know that the trying of our faith worketh patience. When we stay connected to God and develop the closeness he desires, at least three things happen.

We see the big picture

It’s like putting a puzzle together, all of the pieces are laying on the table, in order to get the big picture, you look at the box. When you look at the box from the manufacturer you can see the big picture on the box. The more you put the pieces together, the more it starts to take on the form of the picture on the box. This is just how it is with our view of God’s work. We can kind of see what he’s doing, but not really. Of course, He can see the whole picture. And as we grow closer to him, we can see more and more of things just like he does. He lets us in on a greater part of the big picture.

We understand the present

When we are close to God, and when we can see a bigger, clearer part of the whole picture, we can better comprehend why things are happening in the present. We can see his purpose at work in the day to day much more than we could when we weren’t connected to God. We may not ever fully know why things happen until we get to heaven, but we can view our present circumstances with a kingdom mindset easier when we are closer to God. This is why, I believe the writer writes; “consider it pure joy” Yes I get joy when I think about what He has done for me. Is there anybody here that get joy when you think about how God brought you out, how God delivered you form your messed up self and your messed up situation. Well you ought to count it all joy!

Closure: As I hurry to a close, I get joy, when I think about what He has done for me, that is why I can count it all joy! If the Lord has done anything for you! Count it all joy! Well for the sake of those of you who don’t know what He did!

Alas! and did my Savior bleed?

And did my Sov'reign die?

Would He devote that sacred head

For such a worm as I? 

Was it for crimes that I have done

He groaned upon the tree?

Amazing pity! Grace unknown!

And love beyond degree! 

At the cross, at the cross,

Where I first saw the light,

And the burden of my heart rolled away

It was there by faith I received my sight,

And now I am happy all the day.