No one sees the world the way you do. It’s as unique as your DNA, and probably even more so, because your unique point of view also evolves and shifts according to an endless array of variables and experiences. Perspective is grander in scope than opinion. It is much more than what you think—it is the lens through which you see the world and your place in it.

I thought that it would be fitting to begin this blog with a post about perspective; after all, it’s the very thing I’ll be sharing and what I hope you share with me as well. It dawned on me sometime during my own ‘makeover process’ that my perspective not only makes me unique, it also makes me valuable. The same is true for you. The thing is, not all perspectives are equally valuable. To determine whether the lens you’re looking through is a valuable one, you need to examine and evaluate it. Here are three important reasons why:

• Your perspective is an excellent indicator of how closely ‘your truth’ lines up with God’s truth. Think about going to the doctor to get your eyes checked, and looking through that big contraption at the chart on the wall. First, the doctor begins with everything looking relatively clear, then she flips a new lens over the original lens. “Is this better, or worse?” The wrong lenses definitely make things worse. Our hurts, sins, traumas, bitterness, and so on are like the blurry lenses that get layered over the clear ones, distorting what and how we see. Until we remove those lenses, it won’t matter what we’re trying to look at; everything we see will be skewed and corrupted because we’re looking at it through the wrong lens. How do you know if you are looking through blurry lenses if that is only way you’ve ever seen the world? You weigh your perspectives against what God says in His Word. If they don’t line up, you need His corrective lenses!
• Your perspective is closely linked to your sense of identity. Who you believe yourself to be, what your roles are, what your purpose is, and how you fit in the grand cosmic scheme…these things invariably inform your point of view. And again, if your answers to those essential questions are not in line with what God says about you, your perspective will be faulty, misinformed, and will not serve you or others very well.
• Your perspective is a manifestation of your testimony. It can be a powerful and effective tool to bring clarity, wisdom, and revelation to the lives of others—even to yourself—when it has been infused with the life-transforming power of Jesus. Like any good tool, it needs to be maintained and honed regularly to function as it is intended, and put to good use.

Your perspective matters. Your voice matters. This blog is a place for you to hone and exercise both.

How is your perspective changing and evolving as you walk out your faith?