Fighting for Perspective

Beep, beep, beep.

I fumble for my phone to turn off the alarm and it begins – a battle for my mind, my heart, my actions.

I sigh as I look at piles of books on the floor near my bedside table, random blankets scattered across the floor, and a huge pile of clothes that I need to take to a thrift store.

“My house is a wreck, I need to wash dishes, pick-up, clean, grade school work, do my school work…” my mind races with all the tasks that need my attention. Before my feet hit the floor I come to the conclusion, “I will never get it all done.”

So I turn to my phone and set a timer. “Five more minutes, I just need five more minutes of sleep,” I convince myself.

This is my battle every morning. A battle to fight for perspective to keep my mind on Christ, to work a little every day to accomplish my God-given goals. I often get lost in the size of my goal instead of making small attainable goals daily. Beyond that I keep focusing on myself rather than on God.

What if instead of waking up and looking around at the physical things in my life I opened my eyes and thanked God for a new day? What if I placed a note by my phone that reminds me that God has a plan for today and I get to be part of His work that matters for eternity?

Instead I start each morning the same expecting a different outcome. Isn’t that the definition of insanity? Then I wonder why I get in a rut, why I can’t seem to make progress. I keep my eyes firmly focused on my failures. I don’t even celebrate little victories like clearing a messy cabinet off or making a path from the door to the bed in one of my children’s rooms.

Life is a process that doesn’t stop once you reach your mountain top goals. Just look at Michael Jordan…he earned six championships on the basketball court and now he is successful, but unfulfilled.

So what is the perspective I need to get out of bed each day?

I need to remember that God has a plan for me that matters in eternity. A plan that includes raising children and even *GASP* keeping house. God has me here to learn, to grow, to lead, to love, to give, to reach out, and to do it all to bring God glory. And it doesn’t have to look like a world-changing gigantic dream…Because often the best way to glorify God is to lead a quite life of humble obedience. That doesn’t mean that God does not have big dreams and plans for you. It doesn’t mean that your dreams and goals will never come true…and it may mean that your dreams and goals are just that…yours, not God’s.

So you can give up trying and live for yourself alone or you can fix your eyes firmly on God and seek to bring Him glory in all you say and do. In that perspective every day is an adventure and every moment may be spent bring God glory by enjoying Him.