Saturday, April 1, 2017

Day 107: The Wide Lens

Day 107
Deuteronomy 22-24; Mark 12:1-27

Every situation we encounter in life has something we can take away from it. Every situation we face also affects us based on the perspective we take on it. Read more on what this looks like with me today.

As you have read through the story of the Israelites so far, you have probably noticed by now that it is riddled with commands and consequences laid out by the Lord to the people in order to keep the community in order and the people close to God. This portion of Deuteronomy is no different, as more regulations are laid out and consequences explained. God wants us to be set apart from this world. Not necessarily by following these specific rules, as they were for that culture and time, but by simply doing things that show our love for Christ. When we make poor decisions, a consequence usually follows. Do you think ahead enough to consider what the consequences of your actions might be and how it may not only affect you, but the others around you? Having this perspective can surely save you some heart ache. However, it is hard to keep the ripples from other peoples' actions from impacting your life. This is why we must be careful and consider what is ahead when we make the decisions we make.

We will all make a poor decision at some point or another. I know I make probably one a day, simply because I don't always think things through as thoroughly as I should. God continually reminds the people to remember where they once were and how He delivered them. He does this because it is so important to remember what God has done for you, and act as compassionately towards others who are in the boat you were once in. We aren't to dwell on the past and our mistakes, but we are to always remember God's power in our lives, and apply it as we continue forward. Learn from your mistakes, and more on from them, striving not to repeat it, and helping others who have been put in that same boat.

If you are truly a Christ-follower, seeking Christ daily, and striving to fulfill the mission He has set you out too, it is important to view everything from an eternal perspective. The religious leaders who continued to try and nail Jesus to the cross didn't see the bigger picture. They couldn't see past the rules, regulations, and traditions that they have learned so well. Jesus, being a game changer, caused them to fear Him and His ideas. When we don't see things through the point of view of eternity and what will truly matter in this life, we too can fear like these leaders did.

It is entirely easy to worry about money, health, life situations, relationship statuses, etc, But when you can think of those things through the wide angle of the bigger picture to come, or the perspective of what God is trying to do or how He will use it, the intensity can be lessened. Everything in this world is temporary - which can be good if you are heading for heaven, or depressing if you're heading the other way. Nothing in this world belongs to us, including money and spouses as Jesus points out in today's reading. When we can see Jesus for Who He is, and what He did, and apply it to who we are (sinful, deserving eternal separation) and what we can do (nothing apart from Christ), it changes everything. You can lay those worries in the hands of the One Who created you and is laying out the life to come before you. Give to this world what belongs to it. Don't worry about what you are losing, but focus on what you gain in trusting Christ.

Walk this world with a wide perspective of what you've experienced through consequences of poor decisions, remembering what Christ has done for you, and most importantly with the perspective of His Kingdom and plan. Set your worries into His hands and allow Him to take care of what is His (everything). Use every opportunity to point the way to Him and show others how to cast their cares, worries and eternity on the One Who created them.

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