Do you remember the first time you flew in a jet airplane? For me it was a flight to Florida, then a few days later, another flight to South America. It was like a dream. I first saw where I lived from above, then more of the state I lived in, then we kept going further away to places I’d never been. Rivers looked like meandering threads, the colors and textures of farmland were a patchwork quilt, mountains were small, and being above the clouds even higher than birds could fly was magical. I’ll never forget flying over Key West with its white sandy reefs and turquoise water that looked like a giant opal that went on for miles.
Up until then, I’d only seen what I’d seen. But that day, I saw how much more there is to know.
From our point of view on earth we may think we see the whole picture, but really we have just a piece of it. It’s incomplete. So where can we go to look at life from a higher, broader perspective to increase our understanding? To God’s Word, the Holy Bible. He gave it to us to teach us what only He could reveal. He Himself tells us in Isaiah 55:8-9 (NLT) that He is the One above all:
”‘My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the Lord. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”
Throughout the Bible we learn more. He’s the Almighty Creator, the Author of life, the Source of all wisdom and truth, the Giver who provides for all our needs, the Forgiver of our sins, the Righteous Judge, the One who loves each of us beyond our ability to comprehend. Only He is Holy. Only He is God.
If we don’t invest time to learn what God has to teach us, all we have is a narrow, shallow human perspective where we’re the main character. We’re the judge instead of God and make nearsighted conclusions like these:
- Dismiss people in need as lazy or “less than” without compassion or knowing anything about what’s happened in their life.
- Sort people into categories by their looks on the outside without knowing their heart or who they truly are on the inside.
- Lump a group of people together and give them a label or call them a name, failing to understand each person is an individual and precious to God.
- Think we’re an authority about a subject after watching online videos or reading a couple of articles without any research whatsoever about its truth or source, spreading potentially false and harmful lies.
In 1711, the English poet Alexander Pope said this in his poem “An Essay in Criticism”:
“A little learning is a dangerous thing.”
It’s still true today, isn’t it?
So how can we expand what we understand in practical ways, always leaving room to learn more? First, learn and study God’s whole truth. Every one of us can follow His plan if we choose to. Psalm 119:130 (NIV) says:
“The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.”
Now our point of view changes and we see we were never the main character. We’re in this life together! Our conscience becomes uncomfortable with selfishness. Love that comes from God begins to flow through us and bring healing to others. You’ll want to do more things like this:
- Instead of jumping to conclusions, ask more questions and carefully listen to the answers.
- Instead of judging, spend time with the people you don’t fully understand and learn about their lives. If you see someone who’s struggling on the wrong path, they didn’t get there without a cause – followed by choices you don’t know the reason for. Be kind and compassionate. Listen more than you talk.
- Instead of just being glad you have enough and protecting what you have, share and become a giver. Volunteer to help people in need and be a part of helping them.
- Instead of being limited by your own sliver of knowledge, that in today’s culture may be influenced by AI or planted by marketers or even a foreign organization spreading false information to advance their agenda, do your homework. If you want to truly speak out on a subject, take real classes and read reliable and well-documented research to learn more. Then carefully spread the truth.
Instead of trusting your own point of view, open your heart and mind for God to teach you more.
One more important thought. Life events also help us expand the bigger picture of our own lives. This is especially true when we have an injury, have surgery, or face another kind of challenge that takes time to heal. Interruptions and changes to our normal life teach us by reminding us we’re not the center of the universe. God is.
RESET HIGHER: It’s easy to spot people who think they know it all and call them out as bigots, prejudiced, elitist, spreaders of false information, and biased.
But can we see these tendencies as easily in ourselves as in others?
Do you lack knowledge and awareness in certain areas? How will you choose to expand what you understand?
