Change What You’re Looking At
"Consider the birds of the sky, they don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they?" - Matthew 6:26
Most of the time, worry does not come from what is actually happening. It comes from how we see what is happening. That is why Jesus did not just tell folks to stop worrying in Matthew 6. He showed them a better way to see. A new perspective. Because when your focus is on fear, your life starts to shrink. But when your focus shifts to faith, everything starts to open up again.
Perspective is one of the most powerful forces in your life. Two people can see the exact same thing and walk away with completely different conclusions. You have seen that before. Same news report. Same Bible verse. Same life situation. But totally different reactions. Why? Because of perspective. What you look at and how you look at it shapes everything you feel and everything you decide.
When Jesus spoke to the crowd that day, He was not talking to people with cushy lives and full pantries. These were folks with real needs. They worried about food and clothing. Their problems were raw and right in front of them. And Jesus did not dismiss those things. He pointed them toward something bigger. Consider the birds, He said. Look at the wildflowers. They do not panic. They are not stressed out. And yet they are cared for.
That was not about animals or plants. That was about trust. That was about getting people to lift their eyes off their problems and onto their Provider. Jesus wanted them to know that if God takes care of the birds, He will take care of them too. But they had to change what they were looking at.
If your eyes are always locked on the worst-case scenario, it is no wonder you feel anxious. But if you fix your eyes on the faithfulness of God, you will start to notice that He has not failed you yet. And He is not going to start now.
So maybe today is not about fixing everything. Maybe it is just about seeing it all a little differently. Fear might still be there. But it does not have to lead the way. Let faith shape your view.
Most of the time, worry does not come from what is actually happening. It comes from how we see what is happening. That is why Jesus did not just tell folks to stop worrying in Matthew 6. He showed them a better way to see. A new perspective. Because when your focus is on fear, your life starts to shrink. But when your focus shifts to faith, everything starts to open up again.
Perspective is one of the most powerful forces in your life. Two people can see the exact same thing and walk away with completely different conclusions. You have seen that before. Same news report. Same Bible verse. Same life situation. But totally different reactions. Why? Because of perspective. What you look at and how you look at it shapes everything you feel and everything you decide.
When Jesus spoke to the crowd that day, He was not talking to people with cushy lives and full pantries. These were folks with real needs. They worried about food and clothing. Their problems were raw and right in front of them. And Jesus did not dismiss those things. He pointed them toward something bigger. Consider the birds, He said. Look at the wildflowers. They do not panic. They are not stressed out. And yet they are cared for.
That was not about animals or plants. That was about trust. That was about getting people to lift their eyes off their problems and onto their Provider. Jesus wanted them to know that if God takes care of the birds, He will take care of them too. But they had to change what they were looking at.
If your eyes are always locked on the worst-case scenario, it is no wonder you feel anxious. But if you fix your eyes on the faithfulness of God, you will start to notice that He has not failed you yet. And He is not going to start now.
So maybe today is not about fixing everything. Maybe it is just about seeing it all a little differently. Fear might still be there. But it does not have to lead the way. Let faith shape your view.
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