Jan 29 2009
Matter of Perspective
Life is a matter of perspective, isn’t it? I was recently in the Middle East visiting my wife, Dr. Mickie Mathis, who is undergoing cancer treatments in a city called Doha where she lives. She had an opportunity to address students at the local medical school. The medical students wanted to know how she dealt with receiving the bad news that she had cancer. She really surprised them.
Mickie said, “Well it wasn’t necessarily bad news at all. The doctor told me we had a problem but that there were options and we were going to go after treating this cancer as well as we could. So it’s really not such bad news after all.”
I thought, “You know, that’s a great perspective on life.” How do you normally respond when you are given shocking news? Do you automatically focus in on the negative of the situation and overlook the positive? Do you try to look for a silver lining behind every cloud? You can be assured with the Lord on your side every circumstance that you are dealing with will turn out all right.
When we encounter unbearable grief, go through a painful divorce or receive news of a devastating disease, we have an opportunity to demonstrate our true faith in God. Take a moment today and prayerfully read Hebrews 11:1, which says:
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
During our most difficult times in life we can still be sure that God is in control and He will keep His promises. Faith is found in that certainty. That assurance gives us an anticipation of what is to come. We may not see the immediate answers to our prayers but in the meantime our faith compels us to believe in the character of Christ, which is our evidence of the things we do not see.