Change Your Filter

It is easier to “stay stuck” than move forward. People view change as a reaction to an external force, such as being fired or transferred. But the way we view our everyday circumstances directly affects our actions. If we choose to view life through the same filter of “we’ve always done it this way,” we will stagnate.

The most significant, lasting change happens internally when we choose to forget yesterday and intentionally focus on tomorrow. God’s Word urges us to constantly strive to become more Christlike by adapting, adjusting, and choosing forward motion in life. As Paul writes in Philippians 3:13-14,

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have made it my own yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the heavenly] prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

To experience a different outcome, we need to change how we view our circumstances. I experienced this myself recently while driving around my county. With a career in real estate that spans 30 years, my standard filter is to look at our area through the strictly transactional vantage point of finding homes to list and sell.

As God leads me into full time vocational ministry, He is helping me alter my paradigm from transactional to spiritual. I sense a real calling to care for the hearts and minds of the people in my area because God cares for them. My revised filter for life is “how can I reach and impact people for Christ right where I live?”

What issues and challenges do you face that could use a new filter? Instead of seeing your marriage or job for what it is not… why not appreciate the positive features instead? Appreciate the blessings you have and seek a bigger, eternal perspective. Pray for God to show you where you are stagnating and ask that He would give you a fresh vision for your marriage, job, or community. And watch God act as a result!