View number 3 actually continues our view of circumstances, focusing specifically on problems. Many Christians cry and complain when ‘bad’ things happen to them. They pray to find a way out of the problem, ignoring that the Bible says that bad things will certainly happen, but that in Christ we have peace. When we have problems and worry, the worst problem we have is we lost peace, meaning we now are living outside of Jesus, outside of Life (John 15:1-10). No wonder we feel so bad! First priority has to be to get back in Jesus. Heavenly View 5 is how to do that. For now we focus on what we see when we see the circumstances of our life ‘go south.’
James 1:2 contains a seemingly strange and stupid instruction: count it joy when all kinds of trials come your way. But if we continue we see that God allows (maybe even causes?) all kinds of troubles to invoke this process by which we become perfect, lacking nothing.
I have learned when physical pain comes, the Lord is trying to get my attention, and when I remember and immediately come to him, and repent, life is changed. My favorite story of this is when my thumb was caught in an iron door and the nail pulled out of the root. The nail was still on my thumb except it was pulled out of the root, and bleeding profusely. I immediately said in my mind "You have my attention, Lord. What?" Into my mind came the memory of the night before when I was speaking to college students. I had asked some questions, and I knew they were not honest with their answers, and was mentally judging them and condemning them.
The Lord spoke to my heart and told me to never, ever judge his children, no matter right or wrong. I can judge what they do, but I am never to look down on them or consider them less than my equal or superior. I repented, and there was never pain (pulling nails is a very effective torture method because of the pain it causes), but lots of blood! My friend took me to a doctor who cut the nail into four quadrants and proceeded to pull each one off, with no anaesthetic. I was cool and calm, praising the Lord silently while I watched the process. The doctor made the comment to my friend that I was a superman! I can’t remember how long it took for the nail to grow out, and it is a bit deformed to this day, but I assure you I will never forget this lesson!
Unusual view, that we should rejoice at painful experiences, that perhaps God is causing the pain! Jesus promised the disciples that they would have painful experiences but told them to settle it in their hearts before how they would respond, because he would turn it into an opportunity for testimony (Luke 21:12-14). We know that the enemy is overcome by the blood of the lamb and the testimony of the saints, so we should welcome these opportunities for testimony. We should be expecting the Heavenly View to be unusual when we are accustomed to our worldly view!
The heavenly view of problems is to be able to see the testimony or miracle that is on the other side of the problem. We look through the problem to the miracle or testimony which God promises is on the other side. Hebrews 12:2 says we should run the race of life ‘looking to 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.' There was no joy on the cross, only on the other side of the cross, but Jesus endured the cross because he saw the joy (our presence with him) on the other side.
So should we also look with a heavenly view and see the purpose or good that God will cause the problems to become.
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