Your Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast

Dr. Michelle Bengtson

062 How Perspective Impacts How We Cope in Times of Stress and Crisis

June 18, 2020 ● 32 min

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Episode Summary:

This is the anniversary series of “Your Hope-Filled Perspective.”
Specifically, we are discussing the concept of “Perspective” and how our perspective impacts how we cope in times of stress and crisis, as well as how our perspective impacts our attitudes, our thoughts, and our behaviors.
Your perspective will:
- determine your attitudes and your actions.
- dictate what others notice about you.
- either attract others to or distract others from you.
Ezekiel experienced a vision that changed his perspective (Ezekiel chapters 1-3)
Our perspective will largely determine our focus, and what we focus on grows.
If our perspective is one of doom and gloom, we will focus on the negative in the world.
If our perspective is one that believes God will provide, we will be grateful and still experience peace and joy in the midst of difficulty.
We need to shift our perspective from we have to vs we get to.
Changing our perspective is often not an easy thing to do. It’s often based in the foundation of how we were raised, or how we’ve been treated in the past, and at the root of things, what we believe.
When we believe the character of God, we will have a perspective that reflects that. But when we believe the lies of the enemy, our perspective, and thus our attitudes, actions, and words will reflect that.
God is good: He only provides good things for His children.
God is faithful: He has seen us through every difficult situation 100% of the time.
God is trustworthy: He does not lie and always keeps His promises.
God is loving: God acts out of love for His children.
God is forgiving: If we humble ourselves and pray, confessing our sins to God, He is faithful to forgive us our sins.
God is FOR us: His will is good, pleasing, and perfect for each of us.
What does it mean to take every thought captive
- intentionally think about what we are thinking about
- pray and ask God to reveal any blind spots
- ask if it lines up with God’s word
- rebuke anything that doesn’t agree with God’s word
- replace it with God’s truth
- ask the Holy Spirit to continually remind you of all truth
The question we all have to ask ourselves today is: what is my perspective and is it good, true, and holy?

Quotables from the episode:

Our perspective will largely determine our focus, and what we focus on grows.
“we have to” vs “we get to.”
What is my perspective, and is it good, true, and holy?

Scripture References:

1 Corinthians 2:16 “For ‘Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?’ But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.”
Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will.
2 Corinthians 10:5 “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

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