This Changes Your Perspective 

By Danny Saavedra 

Have you ever moved to a new city or country, switched schools, joined a team, or gotten in with a new friend group? Whether you realize it or not, each of these key changes in your life requires a shift in the way you think and view the world.

As an American moving to a new country, you have to begin thinking and living like a citizen of your new country. When you switch schools, you have to adjust to that school’s policies and philosophies. And let’s not even get started on the dramatic shift that takes place in your worldview when you move out of your parents’ house, or get married, or have kids.

Similarly, but much more significantly, when you give your life to Jesus, the way you think, act, and live must change. You see, in 2 Corinthians 4:4 (NIV), “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ,” but when you receive Jesus, God makes “his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.” What does that mean? It means that as Christians, God opens our eyes and gives us a new perspective on life, on who we are, on our relationships, our goals, our dreams, our purpose, our view of culture, our understanding of the universe . . . it all begins to change.

Now, I want to be clear that this doesn’t just magically happen. It’s not a passive perspective shift; and it doesn’t happen overnight, either. Our perspective shift is an active process in which we’re required to participate. So, what do we have to do?

In Colossians 3:3 (NIV), we’re instructed, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Similarly, in Romans 12:2 (NIV), it says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

In both verses, transformation in the mind is the key. The word for mind used in these verses in the original language essentially means “the faculties of perceiving and understanding and those of feeling, judging, determining.” For the believer, the mind is the instrument through which we receive God's thoughts.

So, how do we set our minds on things above? How do we allow our minds to be transformed and renewed? There’s no big secret path or special 10-step process; it comes only by getting to know Jesus through consistent, intentional study of the Bible, prayer, obedience to His Word, and community with other Christians. You see, it’s all about becoming more like Jesus and seeing the world through His perspective. And if we want to become more like Jesus, we have to spend time with Jesus! Because the more time you spend with Jesus, the more personally you’ll know Jesus; and the more you know Jesus, the more you will become like Jesus. And as you become more like Jesus, you will see the world through a biblical lens, which will impact the things you say, think, and do.

And look at what happens when you receive God’s thoughts and are transformed by them. The rest of Romans 12:2 (NLT) says, “Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Look at what we will continually receive: “the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light” (Colossians 1:9–12 NIV).