Glass Half Full

Life’s events can sometimes seem to overtake us, with worries multiplying like rabbits and responsibilities weighing us down. 

Perspective, my dad used to advise. Keep it all in perspective.

Two people can look at the same situation and one sees a half-empty glass while the other sees a half-full glass. Who are you?

The Bible gives good counsel on how to look at life. ‘Don’t worry about anything,’ Paul wrote. ‘Instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.’

Thank him for all he has done. What a liberating action that is, because as you mentally revise all he has done, your faith for the future rises and the half-empty glass begins to look half full. 

And what happens when you thank him for all he has done?

‘Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.’ 

Those verses from chapter 4 of Philippians are among my Bible favourites. They are so encouraging, and as you begin to discipline yourself to practice the advice, you find your mood and outlook lifting and the whole perspective shifts. 

You can move from feeling like a victim of life’s circumstances to feeling like a victor, not on your own but with Jesus standing in there with you. 

After you’ve thanked God for everything you can think of (takes a long time if you’re serious about this, and is pretty humbling to recognise so much blessing in your life), Paul goes on to advise what your mind should focus on, and it isn’t your past, or your worries, or the future. It’s on good things, true, honourable, right and pure and lovely – thinking about excellent things raises your perspective another degree or ten.

My glass is more than half full. How about yours?