Keeping Things in Perspective

I love Children's Literature.

Recently I've been reading "A Series of Unfortunate Events - The Wide Window" to the kids....and I found an interesting snippet from the author Lemony Snicket.

"There is a way of looking at life called 'keeping things in perspective.' This simply means 'making yourself feel better by comparing the things that are happening to you right now against other things that have happened at a different time, or to different people.' For instance, if you were upset about an ugly pimple on the end of your nose, you might try to feel better by keeping your pimple in perspective. You might compare your pimple situation to that of someone who was being eaten by a bear, and when you looked in the mirror at your ugly pimple, you could say to yourself, 'Well, at least I'm not being eaten by a bear.' You can see at once why keeping things in perspective rarely works very well, because it is hard to concentrate on somebody else being eaten by a bear when you are staring at your own ugly pimple."

I agree....keeping things in perspective is very difficult, but nevertheless necessary.

The Apostle Paul reminds us that keeping a heavenly perspective is key to maintaining heavenly conduct here on earth.

He says, "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him."(Philippians 3:7-9)

This is a little bit of a different take than Lemony Snicket.....he (and others) somehow think that if we dwell on the fact that others are worse off than we are....then we should feel better.

Paul says, if we suffer discomfort or loss as we live for and walk with the Lord....we should focus on the assurance of future grace....that we should remember that any pain in the present is incomparable to pleasure in the future.

Remembering how the Lord has provided blessings in the past sparks my faith in the promise that He will provide even greater blessings in the future.

So "let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus"....."who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

This way of "keeping things in perspective" should provide a greater help in facing the challenges of today.