A New View

On Saturday, I ran a half marathon – from Tukwila to Alki. After running a few miles through an industrial area, a new view came into sight: the Seattle skyline.

This new view was in sharp contrast to what I had been looking at. The old view was ugly and cluttered. The new view was majestic, clean and beautiful.

The city skyline was there all along.. I just wasn’t close enough to see it.

Proximity affects perspective.

Grace puts us right with God and makes us close to Him.

Grace changes our perspective.

Grace gives us a new view.

“Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ – that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.” (Colossians 3.2 MSG)

See things from his perspective…

He’s not: stressed-out, depressed, angry, worried, overwhelmed, afraid, insecure, bitter or running on empty.

He is: victorious, life-giving, more than enough, our advocate, all-sufficient, loving, compassionate, our savior, our healer and our provider.

Remember, proximity affects perspective.

Get close to Jesus and you will have a new view.

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it.” (Matthew 11.29 MSG)

A friend of mine recently said it this way: “Stress, strain, worry and fear does not flow from our Jesus. If we find ourselves in that place, we have found ourselves… not Jesus.” -Zac Gandara