Today would have been Andrew Mann’s father’s 72nd birthday. In his honor, Andrew is sharing an excerpt from Upside Down Joy Chapter 20. The chapter is titled “Perspective.”
Perspective is the position from which we see something. During my father’s life I did not have the perspective I have now. I view him today from a different position.
At least three components influence our perspective: context, time, and relationship.
Context is simply the environment that surrounds us. The urban contexts of Chicago and New York have changed my perspective.
Living and ministering for many years in areas where the absence of dads is noticeable, my perspective of my dad has greatly changed. I see now the importance of having my independence checked and corrected by a godly man throughout my childhood, adolescence and adulthood. It was important to see a man work day after day to provide for his family. It was important for me to see a man take a stand on controversial issues, even when taking that stand led to backlash and resentment. It was important to have a man in my life that lived with integrity and reverence to his Author and Creator. It was important to see sternness give way to incredible compassion. It was crucial for me to have the earthly love of a father, an incarnate representation of my Heavenly Father’s love.
A second factor that influences perspective is time. Time is an interesting thing. Sometimes it passes quickly, other times slowly. There are moments in life where “time flies by,” or small moments that seem to last forever. Both phenomena are a glimpse of the true, overarching eternal reality where time is no longer a factor.
Time not being a factor is upside down from the world must of us know. The other way up, we live in a world scarce in time. There are several consequences from this mindset.
One consequence is thinking, I don’t have enough time. We think, If I only had more time. . . .
More time would allow more opportunity to get the things we want. Often we don’t know what we want. In ignorance we fulfill pleasures that are rooted in time, not eternity. We want fulfillment immediately. With this limited perspective, we view the struggles of life as thieves robbing us of pleasure during the limited time we have to enjoy.
What we really want is joy. Joy is timeless, straight from eternity. Nothing—not a person, circumstance or struggle—can rob us of eternal satisfaction.