Vantage Points

The strange phenomenon and irony of opinions is, the lower the vantage point, the stronger the opinion usually is.

I’m learning something these days.

Learning.

I’m learning not to take people too seriously.

I’m learning that we get to decide whose opinions have value.

You and I, we don’t have to be tormented over the opinions of people that haven’t walked where we’ve walked…

Haven’t stood where we’ve stood…

Haven’t thrown themselves into the arms of the Father over the things that have driven us to the arms of the Father.

The person that hasn’t seen into the depths of our heart and hasn’t examined the truth of all our motives…

They don’t get to rob us of our joy… of our contentment… of our peace…

𝘜𝘯𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮.

I’m learning that the fault-finding that tends to dribble and ooze from people… That it’s merely evidence of a place within them that’s unsavory… A place that usually has nothing to do with you or I.

A place with little credence.

Opinions from places like that… they hold very little weight.

Truly.

I’m learning that vantage points matter.

That someone standing at ground level, doesn’t have to live in my head.

Someone with a fraction of information doesn’t get to keep me up at night.

Someone with a heart full of criticism doesn’t get to fill mine with anxiety.

I’m learning that all this fuss about what people think… 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳.

Fear of man.

Fear of temporal rejection.

Fear of things that don’t even matter.

I’m learning to remember some important truths.

That I serve an omniscient God.

That He has perfect knowledge of all that is within me and without me.

That His perspective is all that matters.

That I can live with one aim.

To please 𝘏𝘪𝘮.

To honor 𝘏𝘪𝘮.

To serve 𝘏𝘪𝘮 with all my heart and all my might.

And I’m learning that I can 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵.

Friend… you and I can rest.

Rest… Because He knows every detail that has to be known.

He truly does.

We don’t have to fret about what people think.

We don’t have to explain and explain again.

We can even just…𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘣𝘦 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨.

Really.

It’s that simple.

Because God knows.

𝘏𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘴.

He knows why and how and when and what.

Past, present and what’s to come.

Every detail, hidden from the eyes of men.

He knows it all.

All of it.

So rest…

No matter what the crowds scream.

𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘵.

Rest in His omniscience.

Friend…

𝘓𝘦𝘵’𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵.

“𝘉𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘪𝘴. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘧 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯; 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘯𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘺𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵.”
– Jeremiah 17:7-8