Perspective
Mark E. Haskins
August 21, 2025
“Close your books. Take out a sheet of paper. You have 10 minutes for this quiz.” My students never liked it when I started a class with such an opening. At the slight risk of creating a similar churn in your stomach as they felt with that opening, here is a one-question quiz for you. “What is it which is bought dearly, offered for nothing, and then most often refused?” The noted author of Out of Africa, and other books, once posed this question. Her answer was “experience, old people’s experience.”1
There’s a great deal of truth in her answer, especially within modern-day Western society. I can recall thinking that one of the most important things I wanted to give my kids, based on my experiences, was perspective. Perspective that not everyone had what we had. Perspective that there were different ways to pursue a meaningful path in life. These are but two examples. My wife and I tried. We shared lessons learned from our lives and those mostly met with bored looks. We traveled with them to nearby and faraway places. We encouraged their community service. We exposed them to our friends so that their adult world was more varied than just us. All in all, it amounted to small steps with no apparent, immediate benefits—those would have to come later.
Even for those of us with many miles on life’s odometer, the truth is, as we journeyed through life, our vistas were near, our timeframes short, the realm of possibilities we saw were limited, and the awareness of actual and potential outcomes confined. Now in our seasoned years, this is still somewhat true even though we have acquired some valuable experience-based perspective along the way to now. We’re in good company. It is doubtful that Abraham fully understood what God was up to when He directed him to take Isaac into the hills (Genesis 22). Likewise, Joseph could not have foreseen what God had in store for him when he was in the midst of his brothers’ treachery (Genesis 37). Indeed, where we stand determines what we see. The orientation of our heart determines how we interpret what we see. Trust determines our acceptance of what is not seen and not understood. And even though we may have walked with the Lord for years, we often do not see our circumstances with God’s eyes, love others with His heart, or bring to bear Jesus’ total trust in the Father. True?
While on earth, Jesus certainly modeled living with a comprehensive and perfect perspective on His mission, the people He encountered, the forces arrayed against Him, and the unconditional love of His Father. We are encouraged to seek a richer perspective, a better understanding, and a greater peace for that which we don’t understand by asking for God’s revelations and instruction. “Trust God from the bottom of your heart: don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go . . .” (Proverbs 3: 5-6 MSG).
There are numerous benefits from developing, honing, utilizing, and sharing the perspectives we have acquired. Perspective facilitates discernment, empathy, and is a portal into a better understanding of just how amazingly wide and deep God’s love for us is (Ephesians 3: 18). Perspective also produces wisdom, an attribute we are to pursue. At the outset of the book of Proverbs, the “book of wisdom”, the stated objective for the book is, “. . . so we’ll know how to live well and right, to understand what life means and where it’s going; . . . to teach the inexperienced the ropes and give our young people a grasp on reality. There’s something here also for seasoned men and women, still a thing or two for the experienced to learn . . .” (Proverbs 1: 2-5 MSG). It is also worth noting that in Proverbs, chapter one, the writer addresses “my son” three times and then another 20 times in the remainder of the book—signifying the wisdom of a father, born of the experienced-based perspectives garnered throughout a lifetime, shared with a younger man he loves.
From the vantage point of more of life’s runway behind us than ahead of us, we are well positioned to share what He has helped us to understand. For each of us it may be different. We are, however, to let our “light shine” for others to see (Matthew 5: 16, Luke 8: 16, 11:33). Those insights when offered to others must be offered without hubris or any hint of condemnation. Lectures, To Do’s, and “shoulds” don’t work when offering to others the hard-earned perspectives and lessons we have acquired. One way that does work is to share treasured stories, a means used by many. At an opportune moment, another way is to sow a single seed of insight from our journey. That seed may not sprout into something helpful in the heart of another person today or tomorrow, but once sowed it is there. Others (and God) can foster that seed’s germination and growth in due time for future emergence and benefit. What seeds might we sow? I recently posed the following question to a close, small fellowship group of seasoned guys: Knowing what you now know in your Christian walk, what would you want to tell your younger self? The answers rang of rich truth— “pearls of wisdom” from decades-long journeys with the Lord (Proverbs 3:13-15, 8: 11; James 3: 17). The simple, but thoughtfully important answers that came from those seasoned travelers with the Lord were (with two of mine added):
- “Jesus’ face towards you is one of delight! Walk with Him in the joy of His amazing grace.” (CD)
- “Your identity is not what the world says it is.” (RK)
- “The story you think you are living in is not the real/full story.” (DR)
- “The most important thing to remember is He is with you in your worst moment and if you hear “do not fear” then you’ve heard from Father.” (JA)
- “It’ll be ok.” (JS)
- “Remember, it’s a love story.” (MH)
- “It is unwise to try to be a lone ranger.” (MH)
Take a moment. Is there something in the above that resonates with your heart? If so, in what way(s) does it blossom into something beautiful and meaningful for you? How might these provide a safe harbor in the storm for you or for others you care about? What would you offer in response to the same question? All our unique experiences offer opportunities to become more filled with God Himself! All that we experience and learn ultimately makes Him more real. And we can then each metaphorically sing our own version of Let Me Tell You ‘Bout My Jesus 2 to the world around us.
Such simple truths as those listed above, are invaluable when in the midst of troubles, burdened with guilt, or assailed with man-made religiosity. They each clarify, crystallize, and point to the saving work of Jesus and the unconditional love of our Heavenly Father. “Show me how you work, God; school me in your ways” (Psalm 25: 4 MSG). Our God is eager to show us, and we learn of His ways through His word, through quiet reflection with Him on the experiences we have had, and through Godly friends. That is how we crystallize valuable perspectives that are born of His faithfulness and love. It is a worthy endeavor to seek the heavenly perspective He has for each of us—let’s pursue it, ask Him for it, embrace it, and let it do its work of love and growth in us.
1 Isak Dinesen (1991), Seven Gothic Tales (Vintage Books, NY, NY), p. 115.
2 VIDEO: I first heard this song at a small, South Carolina rodeo hosted by a ranch family one recent Spring evening (Let Me Tell You). It has become one of my favorite songs because it conveys a perspective on Jesus born of real experience that many seasoned followers of Jesus have had.
NOTE 1: MSG (The Message) Scripture taken from THE MESSAGE, Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.
NOTE 2: Mountain/toes picture used with permission.
