A few months ago, I bought a new (to me) truck. I had been looking for several months for a the perfect truck in the perfect price range. I was proud of my patience and it paid off. Of course, we always think we got a good deal on whatever vehicle we buy, but I’m sure of it! :)
This truck is used, but spotless too. It’s red on the outside with a dark interior. One of the things that drew me to it was the fact that, even though it’s several years old, it looked really good on the outside. No real scratches and definitely no dents.
No scratches or dents until a few weeks ago at least. I was getting groceries out of it when I noticed that the front bumper had a streak across it that was about 4 inches long. It was scratched down to the body. I don’t know what hit it or ran across it, but it did a number on my beautiful (I mean handsome) truck. When I saw the scratch, or course, my stomach turned. Here’s my new (to me) truck that was in great condition, now it’s not. Small, I know, but still annoying. Then I got my groceries and walked toward the house. Before I went in, I glanced back at my truck and could barely see the scratch.
That taught me something…
Things always seem worse up close.
In other words, our problems, the issues we face, the doubts we have, all seem bigger when we’re in the midst of them and when they’re personal. We can look at someone else’s problem and think it’s not big deal but have the same problem ourselves and stress about it.
One of the keys to living and to leading is being able to back up and see things from a bigger and higher perspective. When we back up and see the bigger picture, things seem less urgent, less significant.
One of Satan’s ploys is to get us to see only our problem and lose sight of our blessing. It’s to get us to see things up close and lose sight of the big pictrure. To get us to see our present problem rather than God’s past provision.
So, see the bigger picture. Back up for a moment and see things from the perspective of eternity, the past, and the future. If you’re leading, see the bigger picture and view progress on a longer timeline. If you’re trying to grow in your faith, see the larger picture of it. If you’re facing financial difficulty, back up and try to put together a plan rather than just tackling what’s in front of you.
Back up and see the bigger picture. It’s not as bad as you think. There’s more to it than you know.
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