What vs. How: The Power of Perspective

Last week we ran into some car trouble. It happens. We had made a quick trip to Seattle and we were getting ready to head back over the pass when the transmission on our car started to act funny. After taking it in, we learned that it needed some serious work.Frustrating.In the moment it would have been easy to be upset about what it would cost, how it "messed up" our schedule, how we were not prepared to spend an extra night away from home...It would have been really easy to see things through that perspective. But something helped to influence my perspective...my wife.As we were processing what we were going to do she reminded me that at least it didn't happen on top of Snoqualmie Pass, or happen where it could have caused our family danger.That is perspective.I've learned in life, it is not always WHAT we see, but HOW we choose to see it.Our perspective has a lot of influence on us. It helps to influences the choices and decisions that we make as individuals. So my question is WHAT is influencing your perspective? What is shaping not just WHAT you see, but HOW you see things in life?If our perspective influences the choices that we make, and the choices that we make determines where we end up in life, then it really is important for us to consider what is shaping HOW we view things.We can make the choice to allow our perspective to be shaped by things like hurt, pain, bitterness, rejection, doubt, fear or anxiety. All of those things will influence WHAT we see because they shape HOW we see life's circumstances.We can also make the choice to consider what God's Word declares about us and our situations and allow that to influence not only WHAT we see, but also HOW we see it.Isaiah 55:9 (NLT)"For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."