My husband pressured washed our backyard patio over the weekend. All the patio furniture was still in the yard from the weekend cleaning. I admit I was not motivated at all to move the patio furniture back onto the patio. The patio furniture is old and we have a lot of pieces so we really have not been able to rearrange our patio. As I was spending time with God outside this morning, I asked the Lord to give me a new perspective on life. As you know Jesus is a great teacher, so instead of just answering my prayers immediately, He placed upon me to rearrange the patio furniture. Of course, I was a bit dumbfounded, not only did I not want to do this, I had no idea how this had anything to do with changing my perspective in life!

Before I began placing my patio furniture back, I asked the Lord to give me creativity and motivation. I began placing the furniture in places on my patio that I had not done before. When I was done, my patio felt completely different. I actually liked where the pieces where placed now and felt where the furniture had been placed would better serve me. I stepped back from my work and sensed I had a new perspective on my backyard. I now have a space to drink my coffee in the morning and read my Bible.

Tips on how you can gain a different perspective in life when everything seems the same or you feel like you keep going around the same “mountains:”

1. Change your focus. What has been your focus on? All that is wrong, circumstances that are stressful or overwhelming, what you don’t have? Focus on what is good, praiseworthy and of a good report.
2. Change your thoughts. What has consumed the majority of your thoughts? Worry, anxiety, fear, doubt? Replace all thoughts that are negative with what is good and right.
3. Change the way you see God. What do you believe about God? That He is punishing you, mad at you, withholding goodness from you? Renew your passion for Christ by allowing Him to pour His unconditional love to you, this means you don’t have to do anything or be anyone to receive.
4. Change the way you see yourself. Have you been overly critical of yourself, do you beat yourself up when you don’t perform perfectly for others, do you believe that you don’t have what it takes? Speak life over yourself, what God says about you and believe the Greater One resides inside of you to equip and empower you.
5. Change the way you see other people. See people through the “lenses” of God. Some people are challenging and it would benefit you to speak what you want to see in their lives instead of what they present to you.
6. Change your environment. If you can go on a short vacation or take one or two days where you can go explore a different area. You can even just go somewhere that you have never been before.
7. Change your furniture arrangement. Rearrange one of your rooms in your home, or even your outdoor living space.
8. Change your attitude. Be intentional about setting your mind on your blessings. Write down or say out loud daily what you are thankful for. All through the day keep a list or reflect on what you are grateful for.
9. Change your view about that problem in your life that seems impossible. You may not can do anything about the problem in your life that is impossible, but God can do what you are not able to. God is the God of the impossible. Stop believing the lie, ”there is no way.”
10. Change the way you see life. Nothing is permanent, not even that issue in your life that has been going on for years. We all have good and bad days, and sometimes the bad days last a little longer than we would like. Ask God to show you the good in all the bad that has happened in your life.
11. Change the way you look at old problems. We can get discouraged if we expect old issues to remain the same. Spark the flame of hope for those “dead, dry” places and people in your life. Clear the slate in what your expectation in that things will always stay the way that they are, and that the people in your life will stay the way they are. Even clear the slate in your own life that you believe you will always be a certain way.

Ask God to give you “new eyes to see,” and a “new heart” to transform the way you view life.  If you keep doing the same things and believing the same things, then you will continue to get the same results. Changing your perspective can change your entire life. You don’t have to deny reality, you just need to believe that all things are possible, and God promises to work all things out for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purposes (Romans 8:28).

Stephanie R. Reck, LMSW, LBT, BCCC
Stephanie Reck, Coaching & Consultation Services
www.stephaniereck.com
[email protected]
Stephanie Reck Coaching & Consultation Services, @2024
Author of, "Disciplining Your Mind 30 Days to a Better You!"