It is true, we do not remember days, we remember moments. The moments we remember, and how we remember them, is a direct result of our perspective. Perspective is a function of the heart.
Of all the Bible teaching I've done, my series (taught in 2007) on Perspective impacted me the most. Art reflects life, and life informs art. In the same way a painter or photographer has to subtract and edit and
reframe in order to capture a "moment", so our heart must choose its perspective. Call it perspective. Call it worldview. Call it "attitude determines altitude". Call it theology. Call it what you will, perspective is the mechanism by which you choose what to give attention to, and how you will give attention to it.
Your life, my life, is the sum total of what we choose to give our attention to. We all eat, sleep, dream, work, travel,
maintenance our belongings, love, and relate to others in this life. The moments that become our memories are those moments we gave attention to, for right or wrong reasons, whether from a negative or a positive perspective.
Our very concept of God is based on our choice of attention, whether to focus on the God of grace, who has been from the beginning, or to focus on an idol, an image of our own construction.
We interpret Scripture through our heart's perspective. This should sober us deeply.
Just as any artist has to make that critical decision about what to frame up, what to see, what to subtract (the ability to edit is what separates the true artist from the merely talented) we too choose our perspective. Subtract too much, and a room or a book or a life becomes thin and stark, lacking warmth, lacking honesty. Subtract too little, and the beautiful and important get lost in detail. Perspective colors, perfumes, and defines our moments, and thus our days, and thus our life.
The renewal of our mind, the alignment of our hearts with the truth, and the resultant perspective from which we function is of such momentous importance, I could not possibly over emphasize it. We absolutely must take every thought captive to the obedience of the life and finished work of Christ.
Salvation is complete. Redemption is finished. There is only one thing not finished. The renewal of your mind and mine is the unfinished work. It must become our daily pursuit. Sanctification (experiential, not positional) flows from the renewed mind. Only the gospel of the finished work of Christ has the power to literally renew, remake, and remold the mind - no power of self, no level of education, no form of human accomplishment can renew a mind. Only the gospel of the grace of God found in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, has this mysterious power.
I have experienced more renewal of my mind in one year, this year, than I have my whole Christian experience. This is wholly due to the steady, unrelenting, settled teaching and preaching of the gospel in my church, as opposed to the topical or scatter shot method. It is one thing to know about grace, it is another thing to linger over the reality of it until I see transformation. Sadly, in most churches, we see the gospel treated as though it were good only for getting someone saved and after that we all must work hard at Christianized self modification.
The result of this daily choice to renew my mind in grace, is a transformed perspective that is making moments more vivid and sweet. The pace of my life is speeding up, I am taking on even more work, more responsibilities, making more big plans....yet my experience of life is more and more like a deliciously slow and tranquil holiday. Finally, at age 43, I am beginning to learn how to "number my days". Innately, I am figuring out what to pay attention to, and how to pay attention to it.
Snapshot of a moment: leave in the adorable husband, subtract the annoying habit he has of biting his nails. Simply refuse to characterize him or the moment by what annoys. Pay attention to the gift of being alive and healthy, ignore life's petty inconveniences. Pay attention to the joy of knowing faithful friends. Let the unfaithful ones do whatever it is they do, which will always be centered on themselves. Though they are a mystery to me, I set the puzzle of them aside, because some things I will never understand. Unfaithful people obviously don't need or want my attention - faithful people do need me, however, and I need them. So I move on. I take joy. As the artist in my own life, I edit what I choose to give my precious moments of attention to.
This habit of attention is what slows down the experience of a well lived life. It will enable you to hold a moment of time in your hand, as it were, and let the facets of it dazzle you. Then you enjoy the next moment. Then the next. You don't have to empty your schedule and create a contrived, self absorbed serenity to experience this wonder of a slow, deliberate life. You won't have to think of happy thoughts and grasp for insightful things to say. The grace of God can transform your perspective to the point that you gain the ability to savor, to count your blessings, to number your days, becoming wise enough to know what to pay attention to.
Your life is the sum total of what you give your attention to, and
what kind of attention you give it.
Ps 90:12
So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
I'm packing lightly...preparing to leave on a much anticipated getaway, just the two of us, tomorrow, to an unspecified location.
