"More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been give to us." Romans 5:3 - 5
My second takeaway from 2020 is summed up in the word "perspective." Perspective in the sense of how we view things, how we frame them as we see them occurring, and how we temper ourselves in how we react to them. "Keep it in perspective," is a phrase we sometimes hear.
I'd like to think I'm a logical and reasonable man, maybe more so than others, but the truth is I react to a situation like everyone. My reaction is based on my intuition which is based on experience, some of which is education but in reality much of it is based on what I've been through in life both personal and professional. Much of what we deal with in life we "feel." We experience joy, pain, heartache, sadness, anger, anxiousness, and any other words that conjure emotion. We laugh. We cry. We look forward to something. We think through things and plan based on hopes and dreams or we plot based on fears. We are feeling beings.
2020 certainly gave us an opportunity to run the gamut of emotions, most of the ones I just listed, and I know you are no different (well, most of you). So to react is natural, and there were many events in life to react to in 2020. At the end of 2020, many of us wanted to celebrate "Festivus," the holiday George Castanza's father ("Seinfeld") created which featured the "Airing of Grievances." In the airing of grievances, George's father would tell people in the event how they had disappointed him that year.
Hence my takeaway from 2020 - perspective. Listen more. React less. Ask questions. Make no judgement even if it is present wanting to leap from my mouth. There's more to the story. Please note I separate "perspective" from "perception." I'm not in the "perception is reality" crowd. I worked in administration for too long to learn that line was used when an employee, a student, or someone in the multitude of people schools serve was in a bind. There is a clear truth, but how we frame that truth helps us to process, learn and grow from it. Reality is reality, but perspective does help us as individuals.
James tells us in his first chapter that we will be tested (from God) and tempted (from Satan). James says, "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God,' for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire." (James 1:12 - 14)
So, were we tested or tempted in 2020? The answer is yes because we don't know the source of what we dealt with then or at any time. Is this a test or am I being tempted? The only clue is the last passage - "lured and enticed by his own desire." My desire to react could be pride, selfishness, anger, or as Augustine said, "The lust to justify myself." Satan delights in that.
My prayer in 2021 is that I keep things in perspective and that as men of God, we interact with the desire to love one another in grace, mercy and forgiveness. We should pray that we are slow to anger, quick to forgive, strive to learn and listen to gain a better understanding, and speak the Word of God to those in this world.
No comments:
Post a Comment