Perspective

The Duke and Virginia game Saturday night came down to a very exciting finish when Grayson Allen drove to the basket and hit a difficult one-handed game-winning bank shot. Duke’s home crowd went nuts as they watched their team upset 7th ranked Virginia. Depending on your perspective, Grayson Allen got fouled and/or traveled on his way to the hoop during that final play. After the game, Virginia’s head coach Tony Bennett shared this with the media: “I was joking with Coach K after, I said, ‘I think he traveled’ and he said, ‘Well I think he got fouled.’ ” The refs didn’t call either, but both coaches had two different perspectives. In sports, we know this type of situation happens all the time and we recognize the role that perspective plays while cheering for our teams. When it comes to life and faith, perspective is even more important. As we begin another week, let’s be challenged to consider whether ours is through the world’s lens or through a Biblical lens. Colossians 3 1-2 says, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” The perspective we choose today will determine what our mind is focused on. If our perspective is the world’s, then our main focus is to make money at all costs, act on whatever makes us happy at the moment, and selfishly do what we want to do. Or if our perspective lies in pleasing God, then we will set our minds on things above so our day is filled with humility, compassion, patience, forgiveness, and love. A different perspective isn’t going to change the outcome of the game from Saturday night, but a different perspective in our own lives can absolutely change the outcome of our day. I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that!