Shift Your Perspective...Before Your Gears
LISTEN TO EPISODE 3 HERE.
None of us are going to naturally be at a place of healthy and right thinking all the time. This is true for Christians and non-Christians alike. We all need continual fine-tuning to the way we think and how we interpret life.
It is essential to remember that we are very influenced by the people, environments, and messages that are shaping our lives. But, we are also influenced by the way we interpret these influencing factors. Scripture makes it clear that there are two very different viewpoints or perspectives within our minds trying to dictate which filter we are going to use to process life and determine our perspective.
- We have a fallen nature (which is our flesh or the sinful man within us).
- For Christians, we have the regenerated man ( which is the spirit man within us that has been awakened and lives in alignment with the Spirit of God).
We see this played out in Romans 8:6, which says, "The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace."
How the Flesh Sabotages our Perspectives
Our flesh sabotages our perspectives through constant, desperate attempt to insulate us from anything that might make us vulnerable. We will feel a constant inclination towards:
- Self-pity
- Self-preservation
- Self-preoccupation
As we talk about changing our perspectives, we need to start paying close attention to our mindsets and what is happening internally as we are going through our everyday lives. We are going to need to become very intentional about watching our thought patterns.
3 Ways to Start Shifting Your Perspective
1. Prioritize a Regular Intake of God's Word.
We need to toss the idea that we should “feel” something when we read. Instead, we need to start thinking of Bible reading like a hydrating IV. When we read God's Word, we are positioning ourselves for a steady flow of God’s truth into our hearts and minds. His word is alive and active! Simply getting Scripture into our systems is exposing ourselves to the impartation of His living truth in our lives.
2. Begin Recognizing Your Vantage Point
We all have a cumulative life narrative that dictates how we see ourselves as well as our role and place in this world (See episode 2 for more on this!). We must understand what is shaping the way we think and continually evaluate what is shaping our perspectives.
3. Start to Track and Reverse the Mental Script on Loop in Your Mind
Just as we need to be mindful of the life script that frames our current perspective, we need to pay close attention to the negative and self-centered thoughts shaping our perspective as we process through life. As we begin to recognize our mental scripts, we can actually begin reframing and adjusting these negative, condemning or self-preserving thoughts.