I try to read my Bible daily and I’m often reading to learn what God is going to do for me, how He’s going to fix my situation, or what my next steps are.
I just finished a book by Jen Wilkin, Women of the Word (Crossway 2014), and the first chapter is entitled Turning Things Around. 
In it, Jen talks about studying the Bible as a book about God, not me. Now, that provides a whole new perspective and one that actually might bring greater understanding sooner rather than later. Because it’s all about sooner, right.
Shifting our focus from self to God can be difficult on some days, okay most days. But when the lense is turned just enough to bring God clearly to the forefront, then we can begin to truly learn about Him. And as we learn more about God, His great love for us, His character, and steadfast nature we can trust Him more, understand more, and be more discerning in everyday life.
This is not an overnight thing, but I believe it can be sort of a shortcut, though. Perhaps a change in our study perspective also changes our life perspective. Maybe, just maybe, we learn to worry less, handle difficult circumstances better, suffer through major decisions less, grow stronger, and love more.
Pivoting our study perspective toward God may just, in turn, change our perspective on life and the world.
Writing today as part of the Five Minute Fridays weekly free-write, hosted by Kate Motaung. FMF is a welcoming writing community. Check out the other writers there. On Fridays, Kate provides a writing prompt and we write for five minutes (unedited…hmmm) and share in the link-up. Today’s writing prompt is PERSPECTIVE.
Book: Jen Wilkin, Women of the Word, 2014, Crossway. (2nd ed. not available with study questions.)
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Excellent post on perspective. Your neighbor at FMF.
Thanks, Susan. Glad you enjoyed it.
Suzette: Great post! How true it is.
Thanks, as always, for stopping by. It’s all about perspective.
I’m visiting for the first time from FMF. I have read this book, and it is excellent! I am sometimes guilty of failing to rightly divide God’s word. The more I study it, the more I am humbled by God’s great love for us.
Welcome to FMF! Glad you’re here. Thanks for visiting.
I have the same concern about being correct in my writing. Teachers have greater responsibility and shouldn’t ever take that likely. I think I’ll be referring back to this book often, it’s full of good guidance.
Death has now become directive,
and I think I understand
God’s unique and calm perspective
when we are walking hand in Hand
through the days that I have left,
through the nights of wracking pain
when the Lord, my Rock, doth cleft
and tells me I’ll come home again
to a place I can’t recall
while upon these earthly shores,
where I am held in febrile thrall
against my will, to devil’s mores;
but when I shed this life’s dark load,
I’ll remember Heaven, true abode.
Andrew, Thank you so much for sharing these wonderful and brave words. I’m so glad to know you through the blogging world, but I’m more glad that you know Jesus.
Something for me to think about. Thanks for sharing.
I’m glad you stopped by. I think that’s why we write, to a certain extent. We want to get people thinking and learning something new.
I’ve never thought of it that way before :). We do tend to read the Bible as a ‘man really messed up’ narrative instead of ‘how great, gracious, forgiving, and loving our God is’ kind of narrative!
Yes, sometimes turning around it the best approach. This book was an eye-opener.