God’s Perspective

by Molly Dillon / Keizer Campus Principal

On a beautiful morning this past July, I stood with my best friend at the summit of Table Rock and realized one of the reasons God chooses to “reign on high”. At 4,881 feet, delighting in the magnificent view of His creation our hearts collectively resonated with Genesis 1:31 “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good”. As we stood mesmerized by the panoramic display of the cascades the noise, cares and turmoil of the world faded. Set before us were Mt. Hood, Mt. Adams, Mt. Jefferson, Three Fingered Jack, Mt. Washington, and all three of the Sisters, providing a much needed change of scenery. Unexpectedly, they inspired a much needed change of perspective as well.       

Our character trait for the month of October is Creativity: Approaching a need, a task, or an idea from a new perspective. Our “new” perspective should always build on an “old” and perfect one: God’s perspective. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.” (Isaiah 55:8 NIV). I don’t know about yours, but my perspective is consistently inadequate and self-serving. God’s perspective knows all of the details, see’s the potential, and keeps the issue at just the right size. 

A humble and teachable spirit searches for two key factors in comprehending God’s perspective: wisdom and understanding. The Apostle James kept it simple, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” (James 1:5 NLT). He encourages us to seek wisdom from above that is “pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere” (James 3:13-17). As we invest time into our spiritual growth through studying the scripture, the Holy Spirit will adjust and align our perspective to God’s. Only then will we be able to take a step back from whatever situation we are facing, and “see the forest for the trees”.
 
Thankfully my friend and I were the only ones on the trail for most of our adventure, or we surely would have disturbed even the most patient traveler. We are two very loud blondes who laughed, cried, prayed, and passionately shared about what God was doing in our lives the entire journey to the summit. Once there basking in contemplative silence, our “mountainous concerns” shrank in the light of God’s creative awesomeness. Prayer, scripture and time with a godly friend will always bring us into a right perspective. We don’t ever need to traverse life’s mountains on our own! 

May we turn our ears to wisdom and apply our hearts to understanding (Proverbs 2:2).
 
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– Molly Dillon / Keizer Campus Principal