Rust

Last year, moving into your new home brought many challenges and changed my entire perspective on life. This is the first new house we’ve ever owned; best of all, it’s paid for. Our appliances and most of our furniture are new. But we have faced major adjustments. The first significant difficulty has been living in half the square footage of our previous home. My challenge has been not having the storage space I had in our previous home or room for my 10,000-volume library. Yet, even a greater personal struggle has been no workshop or place for my tools. I was proud of the tools I had accumulated over the years for woodworking. Before moving, we had a two-story barn with lots of storage space. I’m not a hoarder, but the first to admit I have always been a packrat—in the genes, I guess. When Dad died, he still had every lawn mower he ever owned. I had a lot of ‘stuff’. Now I’m renting a storage unit, and Donna bought me a 40 ft. shipping container. But many things have remained outside in the weather and rain. Recently, I examined what still needed to be inside, but everything had rusted—some beyond use. Exotic wood for my projects was rotting. I was heartbroken and depressed.

That night, whether awake or in a dream, I’m not sure; it seemed like the Holy Spirt shouted a Bible verse into my mind. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal” (Matt 6:19). I had already given away half of my books, office equipment, clothes, furniture, etc. Those went to people who could use them. But this was different; nobody can utilize what had rusted and rotted. As I studied and prayed about my feelings, the Holy Spirit revealed that even after decades of serving Him, I needed to develop more in my perspective of life. Growing spiritually doesn’t end with retirement or at a certain age. Maturing in Christ encompasses our entire life.

Perspective is the broad grid through which we look at life. It determines how we approach life and influences everything – our attitudes, mindset, viewpoint, outlook, beliefs, and values. As we grow in Christ, our human perspective transforms to God’s perspective. We progressively see life as God sees it. He views eternity not past, present, or future. We must remember this physical world is momentary. God sees when it all ends.  

God is teaching me to let go of earthly treasures and embrace more of His perspective. All the “stuff” I valued in life will one day be no more—rusty tools, good tools, books, hunting trophies, our new home, etc. Peter said, But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up . . . all these things are to be destroyed in this way (2 Pet 3:10, 11). Ponder the extent of that scripture. Some things God blessed me to see will be destroyed, the great pyramid; the art of Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, Rembrandt, and Johannes Vermeer; King Tut’s gold coffin and his treasures will be no more.

From a human perspective, that isn’t very pleasant to even think about. But, we’ll hardly notice. We’ll be looking the other way, ready for the promised new heavens and the promised new earth, all landscaped with righteousness (v13 Msg). Paul adds The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever (2 Corin 4:18 Msg). So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen (NIV).These verses lead to the question: where is your focus? Are you looking from your human perspective? Or from God’s perspective?

Jesus provided the ultimate example. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb 12:2). The word “fix” means to turn the eyes away from other things and fix them on something else.” The spiritual vision turns away from the earth’s fleeting things and focuses on Jesus. He endured the cross by looking from God’s perspective of the joy He would experience for eternity with those He was dying for.

Embracing God’s perspective brings practical results. When our current troubles or the difficulties in the world disturb us focus on all that is coming and what God has ahead for us. When I have the proper perspective, I see myself as God sees me and do not try to live a man-produced stereotype. God called me to be nothing more than who he had created me to be.

Sustaining Word for the Week: What does God see from His perspective? God has prepared for those love him . . . Things that no eye has seen, or ear heard, or mind imagined (1 Cor 2:9 NET). Be transformed by the renewing of your mind to God’s perspective.

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