Thursday, June 16, 2011

A Shift

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. ~ John 16:33

Everything we experience in life is based on our paradigm, our perspective. Do we look at the situations and circumstances from earth to heaven or heaven to earth? This scripture has always been one of my favorites. For me it meant that life's going to throw us curve balls, so keep an emergency fund, and everything will be ok because God's on my side. Consider, though, that it was Jesus who said it. Does it change the meaning a little bit? When Jesus spoke these words, He was walking on earth with His disciples, before the cross. Now remember, Jesus was fully man and fully God; He's gone through every joy, test, and pain that we've gone through. Jesus was able to look at situations and see both from earth to heaven and heaven to earth. Because He could capture fully our perspective, He said, "In this world you will have trouble." He was being honest with us. But, because He was also fully God and He knew what God had in store, He could also say, "But take heart. I have overcome the world."

Any fool can tell you that life will have bumps in the road. Any person who's lived a little bit will encourage you to have an emergency fund--and it's a smart thing to do. But how many people have the courage to let God shift their paradigm so they can say, "Yes, you'll get bumped and bruised by the world, but your God--the God of the cosmos who sent His only Son to die on the cross so that He could bust down the gates of hell to set you free--is bigger."

If you want it, ask God to give you a heaven to earth perspective, ask Him to expand and to sift your paradigm.

Our God is greater. Our God is stronger. God, You are higher than any other. Our God is Healer. Awesome in power, our God. Our God. And if our God is for us, than who can ever stop us? And if our God is with us, then what can stand against us? ~ Chris Tomlin, Our God

©Heather Potts

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