Keeping Life in Perspective

Perspective: a view of things (as objects or events) in their true relationship or relative importance. 

That's one definition of perspective, taken from Webster's New American Dictionary.  Another way to say the same thing is, how important is something?

I have a real, paper and ink copy of Webster's on my desk. I value the feel of paper pages. On the other hand, I also use Google and other online search engines extensively. I prefer to read the Bible on paper, but I have multiple electronic copies. Both are important. Both are part of my perspective.

Some things, though, are mutually exclusive.

Jesus said, "You cannot serve both God and money" (Matthew 6:24). That's one example, and there are many others. We chose God or the world. Good or evil. Jesus or damnation.

And really, those are the simple (though not always easy) choices to make. They are clearly stated in the Bible, and if that holy book is part of your perspective, the choice is obvious.

Sometimes our perspective can get distorted.

Like the picture above. We know what we see doesn't make sense. But yet, there it is. Those buildings are leaning. I see it that way, so it must be true, right?

Of course not. It's a trick of a camera lens, or a computer program. The buildings are real, but they don't look like that. It's a distortion. 

The same thing happens in life. We sometimes view the events of our lives through a lens that distorts reality. Your job may seem to be the most important thing in the world, but it's not. That problem may seem insurmountable, but it isn't. God may seem far away, but He's not. Those are distortions.

How do we keep a true perspective?

Sometimes it's not easy. Life jumps out at us, screaming for our attention. One day the world feels as though it is going to eat us alive, the next we have the bull by the horns. Sometimes we feel miniscule and insignificant, other times ten feet tall and bullet proof.

It's all a matter of balance. The reality is some things are more important than others. God. Family. Friends. We each have our own lists.

Want to keep things in perspective? Make a list of what really matters and view the world through those lenses only.

You might find that life becomes much clearer.