A Matter of Perspective

A young boy and his sister were happily riding up and down a department store's escalators while their mother shopped. She had purchased an icecream cone for each and left them with strict instructions not to leave the escalator. They were happy ... no shopping and all the rides they could dream of. As they moved in and out of the crowds riding first up then down and back up again on the escalator, the young girl was heard to whisper loudly to the young boy, as his cone came perilously close to the fur coat ahead of him, "be careful, you'll get fur all over your cone".

How often is my perspective exactly like that. Focussed entirely on myself and the impact a situation will have on me. I fail to see the larger picture. I don't see the icecream in the fur coat, I only see a few hair in my cone.

1 Peter 2:9 says, " But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." A chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession ... and I flush with pleasure as I think of the wonder of it. What an amazing thing for me to be a part of all that. For me to be chosen by God, to be His special possession. It's quite breathtaking to consider it.

Do I consider, in the midst of all the self congratulation, the why of this equation? The reason why God showers me with this goodness? Do I stop to contemplate the reality that none of this is for my self-aggrandization. All of this is not about me, rather, it is that I "may declare the praises of him who called me out of darkness into his wonderful light." All of this is about Him, not about me. It is that I may declare His praises. Do I take my eyes off of myself long enough to realize this? To recognize that the blessings bestowed upon me are not, primarily, for me - bur rather for the glorification of His name. That He might be praised.

Do I take my eyes off of my ice cream long enough to realize that while His blessings are wonderful, it's not about my icecream. it's not about what God does for me but about motivating me to praise Him.