Recent events have caused me to have a different perspective on things, especially life. The Oxford dictionary defines the word perspective as “a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view.” Most of us are familiar with the adage, “how do you see the glass of water, half empty or half full?” Don’t judge me too harshly, but I look at it as half empty.

I don’t have any scientific study to cite, but I believe that the majority of our perspectives are based on our emotions, the way we feel about things. With that being my point of view, I would also say nearly 80 percent of what we perceive about something is determined by our emotions. Emotions are real and very powerful. Sometimes we can dismiss this fact. They are so real that they have the power to propel us to action, drive us into despair, even treat others inequitably.

I came across this humorous short story that illustrates this.

Sadie and Rose were sitting under hair dryers at the hairdresser having a chat. Sadie says, “So Rose, how’s that daughter of yours?” Rose replies, “She’s okay thanks. She married a fantastic man. He’s got such a good job in the City that she gave up her secretary’s job. She stays at home but never needs to cook, because he always takes her out, or clean the house, because he got her a maid, or worry about my two lovely grandchildren, because he got her a live-in nanny.” Sadie then asks, “And how’s your son?” Rose replies, “His life is awful. He married a witch. She never cooks anything and makes him take her out to dinner every night. Heaven forbid she should vacuum a carpet, so she made him get her a maid. He has to work like a dog because she refuses to get a job and she never takes care of my grandson because she made him get her a nanny.”  — David Minikoff

Trusting in our emotions, our flesh, for our perspective in life is a recipe for disaster. Yet countless believers fall prey to this day in and day out.

Adam and Eve’s perception of what God had commanded …

“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:16–17.)

…changed when Eve trusted in her emotions, her desires, to form her perspective.

“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.” (Genesis 3:6)

Instead of establishing her perspective based on God’s Word – “you shall not eat”, she relied upon herself, and the influence of the serpent. She let her emotions- her desire, sway her intellect which produced a wrong perspective. It became her point of view rather than God’s.

When we let our emotions, our flesh, control the way that we perceive things, we then create emotional and physical distress for ourselves. This causes fear and anxiety, which cripples us, even hindering us from being obedient and trusting in God’s Word to form our point of view.

“We must not allow our emotions to hold sway over our minds. Rather, we must seek to let the truth of God rule our minds. Our emotions must become subservient to the truth.” (Jerry Bridges)

The book of Numbers illustrates this very thing. We read in Numbers 13 the story of the 12 spies that were sent by Moses to recon the land. This land was promised by God to these very people while they were still in Egypt.

“Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying,  “I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt, 17 and I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.” (Exodus 3:16–17)

“I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the LORD.”  (Exodus 6:8)

As these 12 spies returned from their mission, they told Moses … “We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.” Numbers 13:27

They had brought back a cluster of grapes that was so large it had to be carried by two men! It was just as God said it would be.

Yet their perspective- their point of view- regarding their ability to possess the land had been skewed by their emotions. They saw two things. First that God’s promise regarding the goodness of the land was even more than what they had imagined. Secondly, they saw the giants that occupied the land and let that fear drive their perspective. They quickly abandoned the promise that God had given them.

“Then the men who had gone up with him said, We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.”  (Numbers 13:31)

Out of the 12 who went, only two, Caleb and Joshua had the correct perspective. They refused to let their emotions, their flesh, control their perspective. They trusted in the promise of God’s Word.

What is driving your perspective on life?