6 Steps To Keep Your Perspective in Check

We attend Word of Faith International Christian Center in Southfield, MI and yesterday Pastor MiChelle Butler brought an awesome message entitled Change Your Perspective. Pastor MiChelle gave 6 Steps To Keep Your Perspective in Check. Here are the notes that I took from the message. The message was a huge blessing to my house hold and I’m sure it will bless yours as well.

Thank you Pastor MiChelle for your diligence and obedience to bring this message forth. Your humor and own life experiences always help to bring your messages full circle. We love and appreciate you.

1)    Make a quality decision to be better.

v     Romans 12:1 (NIV) Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

2)    See yourself how God sees you. Keeping your perspective starts with how you see you.

v    Be careful of the all or nothing mentality.

v     Don’t wait until everything is perfect to step out in faith and do what you’re called to do or to get right with God.

v     It’s better to start walking with God and still struggle with some things because the more you develop a relationship with him, you will get free of the things that were hang ups for you initially.

v     God is a right now God.

v     Let God put His super on your natural.

v     Hebrews 11:6 (KJV) But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

v     Matt 12:31 (KJV) The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.”

v     If I said to some people, love on me how you love yourself, I would have to run because they don’t love themselves.

v     You were born single, learn how to be single and love you, see God’s perspective regarding who you are and your life.

v     We live in a world that makes us feel negative about ourselves. Women compare themselves to celebrities and video girls.

v     1 Corinthians 6:20 (KJV) For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

v     There is nothing in this world more important to God but you.

v     John 3:16 (NIV) For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,^[a] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

3)    Be thankful for where you are now.

v     Phil 4:11 (KJV) Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

v    God blesses grateful people.

v    The bible story of the ten leopards. Only one turned back to say thank you.

v    God is in the business of blowing your mind and restoring your life.

v    If your perspective if always looking at what you don’t have, you will throw away what you do have.

4)    Be honest about what affects you.

v     Under pressure, what you put in yourself is what will come out.

v     If you always compare yourself to others, you will always be average.

v     Galatians 6:7 (KJV) Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

v     The music you listen to, the clubs or other places that you go, the company you keep; they all mold your perspective.

v     If you’re single and trying to be holy, stop listening to lustful music and watching lust filled TV shows and movies.

v     Be aware of your temptations and know what affects you.

v     Your perceptive is off if it does not line up with the word of God.

v     Just because everybody’s doing it, doesn’t mean it isn’t hurting you.

v     Lust and sin start with a thought.

v     Hebrews 12:1 (KJV) Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.

v     We are all capable of despicable things; it’s only His grace that keeps us.

v     Thank God that someone was praying for me when I was tripping and he opened my eyes to see that he had better for me.

v     I don’t want to live my life in recovery; I want to live life in victory.

5) Be consistent, don’t quit.

6) Trust God.

v    Protect your perspective (the way you think)

v    Be consistent in the Word. When things go bad, read the Word, play some gospel CDs or call a praying family member or friend.

v    Your perspective should be God’s perspective, keep it in check.

Question: Which of the 6 steps are you working on currently? Which key points spoke to you?

The message was a blessing to me because it continued to remind me to keep my thoughts in check and trust God. I need to continue to have my life and thoughts lined up with the word of God. No matter what our bank account looks like, what I may feel on the inside or what challenges my family/friends may be facing, I need to continue to speak the word and keep my perspective lined up with God’s regarding each situations. We can’t allow outside factors (media, coworkers, family/friends who aren’t living according to the word) to impact our lives and change our perspective. We must keep our eyes on Christ.

Pastor MiChelle spoke about making sure that we put the word of God in us continually so that when we are under pressure, the word comes out instead of profanity and negativity.  I know I need to do better with reading and mediating on the word. If we spend more time watching, listening to and mediating on secular TV/music, the lust, drama and attitudes associated with the media is the fruit that we will produce.  We all want to produce good fruit.

Matt 7:15-20 (NIV) ¹⁵“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

Regarding being thankful and content with where we are now, I have to remind myself of this every now and then. I have goals that I want to accomplish (professionally, spiritually and naturally) and I know I have to be content and trust God no matter what. In His timing and perfect will, I will have what I’ve been praying for BUT in the mean time, I need to continue to be happy, patient and at peace.

Phil 4:6-7  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.