Easter 2013 - Maintaining Perspective

Yesterday was a special day as we celebrated Jesus Christ’s resurrection in which he conquered death, figuratively and quite literally.  As he climbed the hill known as Mount Calvary, the situation looked desperate.  He was a man who served his fellow man as a teacher, a prophet, a rabbi and counselor.  Yet now he was walking a road to his death with a huge wooden cross on his shoulders.  He knew the outcome.  He knew the price he was about to pay for all of mankind’s sins. 

Even though he knew what was about to happen, the pain and agony he would suffer, he moved forward with God’s plan for him.  He had agonized over the path he was about to take in the garden of Gethsemane.  He prayed for God’s support and guidance.  But he still moved forward on that path.  He maintained perspective because he also knew that God would bring him through the storm and he would be resurrected and then reunited with his Father in Heaven. 

Let’s talk today for a few minutes about perspective.  Our trials and tribulations pale in comparison to what Jesus did for us, but God will still be with us for the little and big troubles we face.  Remember what Emmanuel means?  It means God is with us.  Do you believe this to be true for you?  Ask yourself that question.  Look into your own heart today and what answer to you get? 

No matter what happens each day, each week and each month in our lives, perspective will help us because God Himself will walk with us along the path he has chosen for us.  If we maintain a broad view on life, then each event will be just one small piece of the bigger puzzle.  So let’s consider a few thoughts: 

·      Looking at our life as one big event, means we have two simple tasks to accomplish:  Honor Him and Help Others.  We must make all of our actions pleasing to God and we must work towards the goal of helping our fellow man, our brothers and sisters.  Our new Pope is demonstrating this every day.  Christ spent every waking minute helping others. 

Deuteronomy 6:5 

"And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might."

Matthew 22:39   "And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."

·      And because it has to rain sometimes, remember perspective. 

Isaiah 40:31  But they that wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." 

·      There will some very, very tough days so how do you survive the strife in those situations? 

ü Maintain perspective

ü Endure it

ü Step away and look to the future

ü Learn from it

ü Grow and get stronger

Psalm 34:19:  “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all."

·      Last point:  since it is all temporary anyway, remember the big picture.

2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."