Perspective

James 4:13-14 (ESV): ‘Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”, yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.’

Life is a question of perspective, the way we view ourselves relative to others. Chosen perspective is the lens we use to view our world, or given situation. A group of people can examine exactly the same evidence, yet interpret it very differently. We hear exactly the same words, spoken by the same person, but tend to attach meaning according to our own particular viewpoint. Often we are blind to anything we don’t want to see, and deaf to anything we don’t want to hear. Therefore, our version of the truth, or perspective, affects our outlook and experiences. One can be happy in a miserable situation, or sad in a good situation. Perspective moulds attitudes, and attitude determines outcomes.