FEBRUARY 26, 2015
Changed
Perspective
Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was
provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols. —Acts 17:16
Read: Acts 17:16-23
As an early riser, my
wife enjoys the quiet moments before the house wakes up and uses it to read the
Bible and pray. Recently she settled into her favorite chair, only to be
confronted by a rather messy couch left there by “someone” watching a football
game the night before. The mess distracted her at first, and her frustration
with me interrupted the warmth of the moment.
Then a thought hit her, and she moved to the couch. From there,
she could look out our front windows to the sun rising over the Atlantic Ocean.
The beauty of the scene God painted that morning changed her perspective.
As she told me the story, we both recognized the lesson of the
morning. While we can’t always control the things of life that impact our day,
we do have a choice. We can continue to brood over the “mess,” or we can change
our perspective. When Paul was in Athens, “he was greatly distressed to see
that the city was full of idols” (Acts 17:16 niv). But when he changed his perspective, he
used their interest in religion as an opportunity to proclaim the true God,
Jesus Christ (vv.22-23).
As my wife left for work, it was time for someone else to change
his perspective—for me to let the Lord help me to see my messes through her
eyes and His.
Dear Lord, grant us the wisdom to change
our perspective rather than linger over messes.
Help us to see—and fix—the “messes”
we make for others.
Wisdom is seeing things from God’s
perspective.
INSIGHT: The Areopagus (vv.19,22) was like an ancient
philosophical think tank. There the wisest thinkers and philosophers of the day
would assemble to wrestle with important ideas and teachings. This made it the
ideal place for Paul to present the good news and teachings of Jesus.
Source:
Our Daily Bread 2012
