Perception

- to see something in a particular way

- everybody perceives things differently: art, music, etc
- Rorschach test (inkblot) used by psychiatrists to determine peoples perception on things;
tells what we have on our mind; how we view the world; how we view things explains
how we respond. (Luke 6:45 Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks)

How do we look at trials/difficult situations?
How we perceive a situation affects how we react to itand our reaction determines how
fast we get though.
- Story of Job
Chapter 4: Eliphaz, Jobs friend, accuses him of being a hypocrite; claims that all that is
happening to him is as a result of Gods punishment for his hidden sin.

Wrong perception #1
Calamity is a punishment for something I did/am doing wrong.
Did Job do wrong to deserve something bad happening to him?
Was God even punishing him? NO!
Sometimes in difficult situations it is easy to get in a mind of self condemnation, What did I
do wrong , where did I sin etc
These are good questions to ask generally because the bible says that we need to examine our
lives dailybut in times of trials, when we do get into this mindset, it can make us feel
distant from God; make us feel like we cant pray/not worthy to pray etc..

Wrong perception #2
Gods love means kindness, so if he is not being kind, then he probably doesnt love me.
Job 16:9 God hates me and angrily tears me apart
Having a perception that Gods love means that we must always have an easy way out makes
us feel that he doesnt love us during those times.
We put God into our own boxes of what we think His love should be.
We want, in fact, not so much a Father in Heaven as a grandfather in heaven a senile
benevolence who, as they say, "liked to see young people enjoying themselves" and whose
plan for the universe was simply that it might be truly said at the end of each day, "a good
time was had by all". C. S. Lewis











How we should look at trials:
1. Opportunities to help show us what is in our hearts.
You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood
becomes a matter of life and death to you. It is easy to you believe a rope to be strong
and sound as long as you are merely using it to cord a box. But suppose that you had to
hang by that rope over a precipice. Wouldn't you then first discover how much you really
trusted it? ... Only a real risk tests the reality of a belief. C. S. Lewis
- Trials help to show is what is in our hearts
- Shows us how much we really believe/trust God.
- Its easy to say we love and trust God in good times, and easy to say we know God loves
us as well, but in the difficult times, does our faith change? Do we think that he doesnt
love us.

2. Opportunities to help build our faith/character/endurance/maturity/etc
Maturity in understanding that Gods discipline means his love
- Hebrews 12:5-12
- Romans 5:3-5
- James 1:3

3. God is calling us back to prayer

- Being brought to nothing (as we often are in trials) can give us the opportunity to call on
God with a humble heart.


How do we develop these perspectives?
1. Prayer: ask God!
- God gives us wisdom if we ask (James 1:5)

2. Word:
- read, meditate, declare it, hide it in your heart (Psalm 119:11-16)
- let the word become so much a part of you that it will be your response in difficult times
E.g. Jesus response to the devil and Pharisees; David when he was facing enemies
(Psalm 27)

3. Practice:
- Everything takes time
- Make a conscious effort until that positive response to situations becomes natural

4. Preach:
- tell others about how God took you through or how you are trusting Him to take you
through those trials
- Overcome the devil by our testimony (Revelation 12:11)


Theres one quote I always end my talks with, but forgot to on Sunday so just
throwing it in here:

Look for yourself, and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness,
despair, rage, ruin, and decay. But look for Christ, and you will find Him, and
with Him everything else thrown in. - C. S. Lewis