LOOK UP:

THE POWER OF A VERTICAL PERSPECTIVE

(Part 1)

Psalm 121;1-2

¹I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? ²           My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.

Def. Perspective. - A particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view.

Synonyms: outlook, view, viewpoint, standpoint, position, stand, stance, angle, slant, attitude, frame of mind, frame of reference, approach, way of looking, interpretation.

I.                   THE POWER OF PERSPECTIVE

1.     It Changes Your Outlook.

Proverbs 23:7

⁷ For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…

The entire world is our projection, and that things outside neither bind nor liberate us; only our attitudes toward them does that. For example, think about the belief that “life is hard.” If you operate from this assumption, everything you do will seem like a struggle. You look for challenges in every situation, potentially creating your own roadblocks. Instead, if you turn that around to “I am meant to succeed,” then you open your mind to new ideas.

“There’s nothing wrong with the world. You can make it heaven or hell according to your approach.”

2.     Perfect Peace

Isaiah 26:3

³ You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You because he trusts in You.

                       

                       

3.     Your Heart is free to soar. 

Luke 1:46-47

⁴⁶ And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord, ⁴⁷ and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

           

            Psalms 57:7-11

⁷  My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise. ⁸ Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early. ⁹  I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations. ¹⁰    For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, And thy truth unto the clouds. ¹¹ Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: Let thy glory be above all the earth. KJV

HYMN

1.      Nothing between my soul and my Savior,
Naught of this world’s delusive dream;
I have renounced all sinful pleasure;
Jesus is mine; there’s nothing between.

2.      Nothing between, like worldly pleasure;
Habits of life, though harmless they seem,
Must not my heart from Him ever sever;
He is my all; there’s nothing between.

3.      Nothing between, like pride or station;
Self or friends shall not intervene;
Though it may cost me much tribulation,
I am resolved, there’s nothing between.

4.      Nothing between, e’en many hard trials,
Though the whole world against me convene;
Watching with prayer and much self-denial,
I’ll triumph, at last, there’s nothing between.

5.      Refrain:
Nothing between my soul and my Savior,
So that His blessed face may be seen;
Nothing preventing the least of His favor;
Keep the way clear! Let nothing between.

4.     It’s Healthy

According to the latest research, optimistic people are healthier and live longer than pessimists. In 2010, researchers studied the results of 83 studies measuring the impact optimism has on physical health. Optimists had better results when it came to overall longevity, survival from disease and pain tolerance. Additionally, a Yale study indicates a positive attitude helps keep your heart pumping an additional 7.6 years on average.

Stress and Depression

Byproducts of stress hormones can act as…they may contribute to a sustained feeling of low energy or depression.

Stress and Bipolar Disorder

Chronic and/or severe stress can also negatively affect people with Bipolar Disorder.

Bipolar individuals who are in a depressed state often lose interest in things that used to give them pleasure; develop sleep problems; constantly feel tired and fatigued; and have distressed, negative, and unhappy moods, irritability, a short temper, and/or agitation. In addition, anger, guilt, failure and hopeless feelings may be experienced.

Stress and Anxiety Disorders

Chronic activation of stress hormones can contribute to severe feelings of anxiety (e.g., racing heartbeat, nausea, sweaty palms, etc.), feelings of helplessness and a sense of impending doom. Stress and Cognitive

Functioning

The continuous presence of stress hormones in the body may alter the operation and structure of some aspects of the nervous system. More specifically, stress hormones may decrease the functioning of neurons (brain cells) in a region of the brain known as the hippocampus (a part of the brain that is important for laying down new long-term memories) and in the frontal lobes (the part of the brain that is necessary for paying attention, filtering out irrelevant information, and using judgment to solve problems). As a result, people who are chronically stressed may experience confusion, difficulty concentrating, trouble learning new information, and/or problems with decision-making.

Stress and Personality Changes

The term personality is used to describe the consistent individual patterns of thoughts, emotion, and behavior that characterize each person across time and situations. Each individual's personality is thought to be influenced by both an inherited "genetic" component (usually called temperament) and by their interactions with the environment. Some people experience personality changes in response to stress hormones, which are part of their internal environment. The following changes in personality are not uncommon to observe in people who are stressed:

·         Irritability

·         Hostility

·         Frustration

·         Anger

·         Aggressive feelings and behavior

·         Decreased interest in appearance

·         Decreased concern with punctuality

·         Obsessive/compulsive behavior (trying to cope with unwanted repeated thoughts or obsessions, by engaging in compulsive behavior rituals such as counting, checking, washing, etc.)

·         Reduced work efficiency or productivity

·         Lying or making excuses to cover up poor work

·         Excessive defensiveness or suspiciousness

·         Problems in communication

·         Social withdrawal and isolation

·         Impulsivity (expressed as impulse buying, gambling, sexual behavior, or similar)

II.                HOW TO HAVE A VERTICAL PERSPECTIVE

1.     Pray about everything all the time.

1 Thessaloniansans 5:17

¹⁷ pray without ceasing.

2.     Think About God all of the Time.

Psalm 10:4

⁴ The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.

3.     Ask God questions. Often!

1 Samuel 23:1-5

Then they told David, saying, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are robbing the threshing floors.” ² Therefore David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” And the Lord said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines, and save Keilah.” ³ But David’s men said to him, “Look, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?” ⁴ Then David inquired of the Lord once again. And the Lord answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah. For I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.” ⁵ And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines, struck them with a mighty blow, and took away their livestock. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

-         Life

-         Reading Bible

-         When Stuff Happens

-         People

-         Yourself

-         Reality

-         World Events

4.     Thank God for everything. All the time

1 Thessalonians 5:18

¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

                       

                        Don’t Stress – Ever

Philippians 4:6-7

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

5.     Look at the other side of the coin

Paul the Apostle

2 Corinthians 4:7-9

⁷ But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. ⁸ We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—¹⁰ always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. ¹¹ For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. ¹² So then death is working in us, but life in you.

Philippians 4:10-13

¹⁰ But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. ¹¹ Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: ¹² I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. ¹³ I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Romans 8:35-37

³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶ As it is written: “For Your sake, we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” ³⁷ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

Answer Key: Outlook; soar; everything; Ask God; Stress;