As we transition into our new home base in North Carolina, Melissa and I have paused to consider all that has happened in the past six months that have moved us from one chapter into another. We feel the new season upon us, but at the same time, the pressures, stresses and feelings of overwhelm continually seek to steal our perspective.
In this whole transition, I felt the Holy Spirit speaking to me about “upgrading my mindset,” or stewarding my perspective with greater sobriety.
Perspective is Everything
In learning to heal and grow in my thinking, while helping others overcome incredible obstacles, I am constantly aware of how important mindset and perspective is. You lose your perspective and you can be so easily taken out.
Two people can be in the same situation, but have incredibly different perspectives. That is why the enemy is keen on darkening your mindset and viewpoint, so that you cannot see God in the midst of your situation.
Elijah’s Loss of Perspective
To continue from my last post on Stress Relief: When We Lose Perspective, there is much to learn from Elijah and what a loss of perspective can do.
A man who stood as a colossal giant of signs, wonders and miracles of epic proportion, has now been minimized to a depressed, overwhelmed, self-pity filled man who cannot be convinced otherwise.
How did this happen? He lost his perspective.
Even though miracle after miracle was following him, something unhealthy was lurking within his thinking behind the scenes. Once Jezebel threatened him, it opened up that vulnerable place in his heart that was overwhelmed and burned out.
I believe if you are to win the battle of stress in your life, perspective is everything. You have to see the importance of guarding and stewarding it. I find that within 5 to 15 minutes, I can lose perspective and drown in a sea of negativity. You can too, but the good news is, you can take back your perspective and get empowered.
Losing Sight
When Elijah lost his perspective, he lost sight of:
- Who God is.
- Who he was.
- What was at stake.
- What God was doing.
Instead, he got lost in one threat from Jezebel and got fixated on himself with a victim posture. It drove him into isolation and disconnected his heart from the power that was available to him.
And he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.” 1 Kings 19:14 (NKJV)
Even God Himself showing up did not change his perspective.
Your Perspective is Your Decision
That’s because your perspective is up to you to shift and change. You are in charge of your perspective. Asking God to change it for you will only go so far. You have to make some new decisions to break free.
Guarding your perspective is everything. So when God appears to Elijah and gives two attempts to encourage a new perspective, He puts the hammer down. God would now reveal what was really going on while Elijah was in his pity party perspective.
1. Backtrack to Where You Got off Track
Then the Lord said to him: “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus” 1 Kings 19:15a (NKJV)
Even though it was quite a distance, Elijah needed to go back to where he came from to get reconnected to the right perspective. Many times, you need to stop and backtrack to where you got off track, realign yourself and move into a new pattern.
2. Refocus Your Attention on What God is Doing
and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. 1 Kings 19:15b (NKJV)
Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. 1 Kings 19:16a (NKJV)
God had a king chosen to take over in Syria and He had king for Israel. This was all in the heart of God while Elijah was fumbling in his despair.
Elijah, that king that is against you, Ahab is not going to reign forever. I am at work and am continuing to work.
3. Get Sober About How Your Perspective Influences Others
In this ungodly sorrow and despair, Elijah loses perspective of his influence in the region and the nation. He thinks his life has no meaning anymore, that his work does not matter.
When we lose perspective and fall into pity, we often think our life has no meaning or purpose. Our sobriety gets stolen of what’s at stake. Our influence in the battle gets weakened.
In this situation, God had to give Elijah some tough news. . .
And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. 1 Kings 19:16b (NKJV)
God anoints a new man of God, Elisha to be a prophet in his place.
God is patient with us in our pity parties, but at some point, we need to awaken to what is at stake. I never want to be in a position where God has to use someone else, because I got stuck in a disempowering perspective for a long time.
From this moment on, the ministry of Elijah began to fade, while the ministry of Elisha rose up. In fact, Elisha’s miracle ministry surpassed that of Elijah’s.
In our moment of isolation and despair, we need to keep in mind what is at stake. If the enemy gets us to lose sight of our meaning and significance in life, then he has stripped us of our calling and potential.
4. Stop Thinking You Are All Alone
It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him. 1 Kings 19:17-18 (NKJV Strong’s,) 17
God was saying to Elijah, “By the way, there are men out there doing some powerful works. On top of that, you have seven thousand people who were waiting for you. While you were feeling sorry for yourself, there are people waiting for you to come alive to who you are and what I have called you to do.”
You mean I’m really not the only one after all? Then what am I doing in a cave, a month and a half away from all the action?!”
And God says, “That’s what I’ve been asking all along!”
Do you know what change in this circumstance? Nothing.
God was at work, people were waiting on Elijah and the move of God was continuing. The only thing that change was Elijah’s perspective.
Elijah’s Two Problems
Elijah had 2 problems that you and I share with him:
- There were some things he forgot about.
- There were some things he didn’t see, because his perspective was clouded.
Because he interpreted and responded to the present in light of what he forgot about, he lost gratitude and sight of what God had done all this time. He lost touch with God’s faithfulness and he forgot to factor God into the future.
- He forgot about 3 years where God took care of him while everyone else was dying and thirsting to death.
- He forgot about finding this widow where God provided a miracle of provision.
- He forgot that he was able to face 850 prophets and win an incredible battle.
Just like you and I, Elijah forgot about the power of God that exhibited in his life over and over again.
5. Stop and Remember
A great exercise for you to regain your perspective is to stop and rehearse all the big and small areas where God has been faithful in your life. Gratitude will open up your perspective like nothing else. It will focus your attention on what God is doing, not on what you may think He is not doing.
We so easily forget:
- The job that He provided.
- The spouse He brought into your life.
- The check that arrived in the mail.
- The lost and rebellious child came home.
- The healing you received.
- The valley He brought you through.
You forget that God has been faithful and true every single step of the way!
Perspective and Interpretation
Stress is not circumstances, but our interpretation of those circumstances. It all has to do with the perspective that we carry.
Your perspective determines how you will interpret the situations you come against. Trials and challenges reveal what we have been feeding on and what has had the most influence on our perspective.
God can provide in amazing ways, but if we do not feed on thanksgiving and being rooted in His faithfulness, we will completely forget every way that He has worked in our lives. It can be like those amazing things never happened.
6. Rehearsing God’s Faithfulness
One of the best practices you can put into action is gratitude, combined with bringing to remembrance the faithfulness of God in your life. When the fortress of God’s faithfulness is built up in our hearts, we are reminded that He will be faithful to work again in our present and future.
There may be times where God seems quiet, but He is not gone. He is never absent. God is not at a loss of control. He never falls asleep at the wheel. He is the God who prepares the way, whose Word is always true. He will come through in the end.
He is going before you. There are many things you don’t know about. Much is at work behind the scenes. But our key focus is to not lose perspective.
7. Get Back into Releasing the Pressure to God.
Elijah come under such pressure, that it became all about him and what he could handle. He forgot who empowered every miracle, provision and possibility in his life. Forgetting that God was at work this entire time, he pictured himself as an overworked martyr.
He forgot to release the pressure to God.
You and I can easily fall into carrying the burden, weight and pressure of situations on our shoulders. As quickly as we release it to God, we take it back and come under it again.
The truth is, I have seen more fruit in my life by learning to rest and God, trust that He is at work, then by coming under the yoke of pressure and trying to figure it all out. But I have had to learn the hard way too many times.
So what will it take for you to regain your perspective. I encourage you to slow down, before your pace of life gets a hold of you and forces you to slow down. Get grateful and sober up to a renewed perspective. I believe there are thousands of people who are waiting for you to awaken to what God has put inside of you. But the only thing that may be hindering you is your perspective.
God is here. But the choice is yours.