Different People and Different Perspectives
It amazes me how different people can look at the same situation and come away with completely different perspectives.
It amazes me how different people can look at the same situation and come away with completely different perspectives.
It’s like the old fable about a group of blind men who encountered an elephant and then tried to describe the beast. Each man, having felt a different part of the elephant’s body, had a personal and unique perception of what the animal was like.
Twelve spies, two perspectives
Such was the case in Numbers 13. Moses sent twelve spies into the Promised Land to scope out the people and geography. Twelve men saw the same things—a beautiful land flowing with milk and honey, bountiful harvests of fruit, and the people who lived there. Of the twelve spies, ten cowered in fear. Only two displayed courage.
Why was that? Here’s my hunch: the majority focused on the challenges they’d face if they tried to conquer the land. Fear bulldozed them.
In contrast, the minority focused on God’s promise to give them the land. In their minds, worrisome circumstances were His problem, not theirs, to deal with. Courage controlled their response.
See what I mean about different people looking at the same situation and having different perspectives?
Modern-day examples of people having different perspectives:
In each case, someone possesses courage while another’s possessed by fear. Their focus determines their perspective and ultimately their response.
How about you?
What circumstances are you facing today?
What’s your perspective of the situation—are you courageous or fearful?
Know you are loved,
Grace
If you’re needing encouragement in a storm right now, or you know someone who does, order a copy of my devotional book, Keeping Hope Alive: Devotions for Strength in the Storm.
Available wherever Christian books are sold or order your autographed copy here.
Winner of “Devotional Book of 2022” in the Golden Scroll Awards
If you’re needing encouragement in a storm right now, or you know someone who does, order a copy of my devotional book, Keeping Hope Alive: Devotions for Strength in the Storm.
Available wherever Christian books are sold or order your autographed copy here.
Winner of “Devotional Book of 2022” in the Golden Scroll Awards
Thanks Grace,
Just a thought…..
Maybe a key factor in being courageous in the midst of fear is KNOWING who is in control, GOD is, and knowing His Word; trusting He is who is says He is, trusting He does what he says He does and trusting He loves as He says He loves.
To be courageous in fearful situations may not be easy, but knowing God’s word sure give a boost in overcoming the fear factor!
Amen to that, Janna!
That’s so what I was thinking/going to say! Knowing He is in control, that He has not forgotten us and we are safe abiding in I Am, no matter where or what we are experiencing . But if we do not know God! Father glorify Your Name through us.
Hi Karla. Thanks for posting your thoughts here. It’s pretty amazing, really, how people can have opposite perspectives on the same subject. Knowing who God is makes all the difference between having a confident, hopeful perspective versus fear-filled.