When writing a novel, the first decision an author must make is to choose the book’s point of view. The writer must decide from whose perspective the story will be told. It could be from the standpoint of a character or a narrator. The choice the author makes greatly impacts the final product of the book.

In the same way, the perspective we use to look at life will significantly influence how we live. We, too, must make a choice concerning the point of view that will guide our thoughts and actions. We can view reality from a human perspective, or we can make the effort to see things from God’s point of view.

When Jesus first told his disciples about his upcoming death, Peter took him aside to reprimand him. After all, Jesus was the Messiah who was to deliver Israel from Roman occupation. Peter had to make sure Jesus understood that death was out of the question.

Jesus rebuked him in one of the strongest ways possible. He accused Peter of speaking for Satan. He then explained to his disciple why he was so wrong: he was looking at reality from a human perspective. He was ignoring God’s point of view.

As we go through life, it’s easy to make the same mistake Peter did. This also touches our ministry. I remember a time when having the wrong standpoint led my colleagues and I to make the wrong decision. We had planned a Bible study for teenagers. When we arrived at the place, we were surprised to see about thirty children waiting for us. No teen was in sight. We somehow got through the evening, but later concluded that the event had been a failure. We never went back. We allowed our expectations to cloud our judgment. We were so focused on our human viewpoint, it never occurred to us that God could have sent those kids and wanted us to minister to them.

God has given us the Bible to help us see reality from his perspective. Having a divine viewpoint impacts how we live and serve.