“So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer” (2 Cor. 5:16, NIV).
When Paul encounters Christ on the road to Damascus, he can no longer hold to his former lifestyle. He trusts God and His promises. He puts his faith in Jesus and is obedient/submissive to God’s direction in his life, even to the point of death.
As Paul discovers the truth of Jesus and His gospel, he informs the Corinthians—he is obliged to share it with others.
Paul, like many of us, used to view religion from a worldly point of view. God was something he could use to achieve his own agenda and pursue his own end. It is a temptation many of us are familiar with.
Paul’s encounter with Christ humbled him, showed him the truth and introduced him to what he describes as the “fear” of the Lord (2 Cor. 5:11): to revere and honor Him, to recognize Him as judge and to accept the truth that His agenda is better than our own.
In today’s society, our point of view has become sacred; it is something we fight for. We spend much of our day in emotional upheaval when our point of view is the least bit challenged.
There is a big difference between fighting for the truth and fighting for your own point of view. And I fear it is a distinction we are becoming less and less familiar with. We assume the truth and our point of view are the same. Imagine if Paul had taken this posture.
We should not be so frightened at having our point of view challenged. In fact, we should not wait on external forces to challenge it. We should be evaluating our own predispositions, assumptions and perspectives. We ought to assume we have much to learn and be passionate about pursuing the truth rather than reinforcing our point of view.
When we view God and others from a worldly point of view, it sows derision and divisiveness among us. When we adopt God’s point of view, we see the opportunity for unity, synergy and truth within all of us. {eoa}
The Yellow Balloons Team is committed to influencing individuals and organizations toward choosing a true perspective. Throughout all the diverse circumstances of life, we have the power to make choices and live life above our circumstances. Yellow Balloons provides resources such as books, podcasts and devotionals, which can be found at yellowballoons.net. For more on discovering truth, our new devotional book, Yellow Balloons: 366 Day of Discovering a True Perspective is now available.
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