I recently conducted a retreat for those who lead congregational worship in churches across North America. It was two full days of worship and prayer, fellowship and teaching. Most of the folks who attended, although tired, were still on a mountain-top from the recently completed Easter season. Some, however, were struggling. Budget cuts. Lay-offs. Criticism from leaders as well as from congregation members. One man had just been released from his position because a few who had opposed his initial hiring had wormed their way into positions of authority in the congregation. Another, whose adult son had recently walked away from his faith, was devastated. How could he stand before his congregation when his own son had abandoned all that he had tried to instill into him? There were others-too many stories to share-who were broken in spirit and feeling crushed by recent situations and circumstances. A few of these leaders looked as though they needed to be carried in on a stretcher.
Something happened, though, during our time together. By the end of those two days, things had changed dramatically. Don't misunderstand. The people were still returning to their same situations, but their outlook had been altered. Hour upon hour of gazing on the beauty of the Lord-of worshiping Him-had amazingly changed their point of view. The situation was still just as real, but now it was in the proper perspective. They realized that God indeed was still in control. Their situation didn't catch Him by surprise. Those who had been beaten down now realized anew that the Lord was bigger than their situations and circumstances.
Worship can do that in our lives. When we fix our eyes on God, things change. Not necessarily the scenario itself, but our perspective is altered in dramatic ways.
My family and I live in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. Because of the close proximity, we have many times visited the Gateway Memorial Arch. It's a massive structure made of stainless steel and concrete. A few times while visiting there, I've seen people taking pictures that were different from the usual shot of the Arch. The first time I saw someone taking one of these photos, it took a moment for me to figure out what was happening. Someone stands on the hill just up from the base of the Arch, hands in the air as though holding something up, while someone else shoots the photo. The final effect is that it appears that the person is holding up the Arch. In fact, if the lighting is right and the photographer has done a good job, the final picture can make it look very realistic. The person appears to be nearly as big as the structure itself. That's quite a feat since the Arch is more than 600 feet tall!
You know, just like in those photos, our perspective can alter how reality appears. No one could possibly be 600 feet tall, and the Gateway Memorial Arch is certainly not just over six feet tall. But the photo sure makes it look that way. We know that it would be impossible for a single human being to hold up a massive structure of steel and concrete. However, reality becomes skewed by the odd perspective.
When you or I are facing tough times in life-whether a job loss, death of a loved one, a debilitating disease, ongoing problems with family or other relationships, or any of a myriad of other possibilities, big and small-those events can seem way out of proportion. As we stare intently at those situations, they can appear massive. They look so big and so grave that we feel overwhelmed by them, crushed by their weight. In the midst of such scenarios nothing else is even visible. That situation is so gigantic that it fills the frame of our mind from one side to other. There is often no room left for anything more. From our perspective, nothing else seems anywhere near as significant as the catastrophe staring us in the face.
If you will allow me a moment to be extremely candid, that entire last paragraph is a skewed perspective on reality. It's like those photos of the Arch. I'm not suggesting that the situation is not real. It may be very real, and it may indeed seem overwhelming. But just like the person in the photo seems nearly 600 feet tall, it's really not as it appears because the perspective is all wrong.
I have faced trying times when I just wanted to hide away. I was overwhelmed. On the surface it appeared as though the situation would consume me because of the sheer size of it. Yet, in those moments when I've taken the time to put my gaze upon God-to worship Him even though I didn't necessarily feel like it-the change was monumental. Don't misunderstand. The problem didn't go away. In fact, there have been times when the problem actually got worse. But my perspective changed. I began to see how big God is and how little-in comparison-the problem is. As I did what Scripture commands, magnify the Lord, the situation no longer seemed nearly 600 feet tall. In fact, in comparison to God, that tragic scenario suddenly appeared tiny. It may still have hurt. I might have continued to feel the pain of heartache or loss, but it was no longer giant-sized. By choosing to fill the frame of my life with God rather than with the problem, I had regained a proper perspective. I worshiped Him, and that altered everything.