Perspectives

I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I walked in to the fellowship hall of GBFC four weeks ago.

But I'm glad I did.

I had heard the announcements for this "Perspectives" course for several weeks prior to that evening. It just didn't dawn on me it would start so soon...or last for 15 weeks.

I'm only just entering week 4. There is a lot of reading [at least when I put it in my pile of other responsibilities], but it has been such a blessing!

So far I have learned a few things that are changing how I view EVERYTHING. 
1. God doesn't bless me just because He wants to bless me because this life isn't about me. God blesses me so that I will take that blessing and bless others. I am commanded to SHARE my blessings.
2. Nothing in this life is about me. Not even me. EVERYTHING is about God's glory. God wowed me with this about a year ago, and He's wowing me again. You'd think I'd know this. I'm almost 24 years old. But I'm quite egocentric and God has to knock me back down out of the center of my universe every now and again. Everything God has done has been for His own glory--even His sacrifice at the Cross. He is to be glorified in all things.
3. What we do is not OUR ministry...it's God's. He's just allowing us to be in the middle of it. There's a precious family at my church who give God the honor in all things, even their car is called "God's car." It's not theirs; God's just lending it to them for a while. What a beautiful way of looking at this world.
4. Too many people, including myself, only see what's in our goggle vision. We see our needs and wants. We see only what is in our here and now. It's time I stop being so narrow-minded and instead be Kingdom-minded. What will benefit the Kingdom of God? I just recently read a book in a series by Michael Phillips called New Beginnings. In the book, one of the main characters, Christopher, has a conversation with his wife, Corrie, about how we should do all things with the motive of growing in our relationship with God or helping someone else to grow in theirs, and it's even better if both you and the other person can grow from it. This is the difference between just goodwill toward men--and God's will toward men. Everything I--we--do should advance the Kingdom of God.

So, umm...I'm pretty far from perfect and am only just beginning to apply all this to my life. Though I am trying--trying to see everything through this new perspective.

And not through Kristina goggles.