Scripture for Today: Colossians 3:1-2 “Since then you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.”

The Leaning Tower of Piza is not the only place in Europe where tourists practice their “forced perspective” photography! This giant woman looks as if she is pinching the top of the Louvre Pyramid. This technique manipulates our human visual perception with the use of optical illusion. The result is often surprising, making an object appear larger, smaller, closer or farther away than it really is.

Today’s verse is all about perspective. Paul tells believers to set their minds on things above. Our minds and our hearts are to be changed by an eternal perspective. What we see on earth does not match up with spiritual realities. What we see, touch and feel around us is not eternal. These things are real but they will not last. When we set our minds and hearts on the realities of Heaven, it changes how we view that difficulty. It affects how we see our problems. What can loom so large in our perspective is only “light and momentary trouble.” (II Cor. 4:17)  All the hard things in this life are, “achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”

This spiritual perspective is not a “forced perspective” but it is a choice and it sure makes Heaven seem a little bit closer. The things of this earth can seem much smaller with a heart set on what is above. And sometimes, I need to see the hard things as smaller than they appear in light of eternity. I need to change my perspective to what is eternal and lasting to see past the problems I face today.

Change my perspective, Lord. Help me see You today instead of my problems.