…it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given… blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear… Matthew 13:11-17
The children of God have been given eyes to see and ears to hear. Constrained in our earthly body, we tend to underestimate this gift and ability. We hope and pray the following will help provide a proper estimation and exercise of God’s grace – particularly as it relates to our relationships and fellowships.
Because of His great love, God has saved and seated us together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:4-7). From there, we might enjoy His perspective of all that is going on around us… or we might choose not to. It is our responsibility to observe, process, and respond to our environment and all its activity from the heavenly perspective. Doing so exercises the mind of Christ, which we have (1Corinthians 2:16).
To lay hold of this grace, we must first believe the heavenly perspective is available, and then we must choose it (an act of our will). Some may hesitate, fearing the temptation of haughtiness. Such a fear should not be ignored. We must not think that we are sufficient for these things, but reckon that our sufficiency is from God (2Corinthians 3:5-6). We must remain humble, and allow the Holy Spirit to deal with our flesh (another reason daily communion with God, who is a consuming fire, is important).
Indeed, those who know the grace of God from the perspective of God are not concerned with their personal rights, nor easily distracted by injustice done to them. They see beyond these things, into eternity. They have been set free from temporal matters and considerations.
Looking over our circumstances from Christ’s perspective provides supernatural breadth and depth, both of the situation and God’s intentions for it. We are given insight into motives and masks. We become healing instruments for God’s children and deadly weapons against His enemies.
If we truly believed that we were children of God, and we truly believed He was sufficient for everything He desires of us, things would be different in our lives and in our spheres of influence. It occurs to me that each one of us should reckon the truth of this at the beginning of every day (and probably many times before its end).
I am moved deep in my soul by the importance of this. It is a transformational matter, an epiphany. The thought of it stirs the desire in my heart to see and engage the world as a child of the perfectly good and loving King. Why would we settle for anything less than the perspective we have been offered and commanded to walk in (2Peter 1:1-11)?
Beware, it will be easy to accept this as true and not believe it. The hearing of faith must be followed by obedience to the faith for the work of faith to effectually manifest God’s grace in and through our being. We must allow the Holy Spirit to truly renew our minds in this matter of our humble and royal estate.
In closing, let us be encouraged that God has put a desire in our hearts for everything He desires of us. If we will surrender, commit our way to Him, and trust in Him, He will bring it to pass. He will bring forth our righteousness as the light, and our justice as the noonday (Psalms 37:4-6).
We must humbly resign ourselves to nothing less than what God has made of us in our rebirth, and nothing more than submitted participation in the good work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Without Jesus Christ, we can do nothing; yet through Him, we can do all things. His life is all we need.
God bless you with faith and courage to observe, process, and respond to your environment from His perspective. God bless you with the renewal of your mind.
Humbly yours and forever His,
Rob