A New Perspective: When Your Problems Look Different From God’s Point of View
Have you ever noticed how different something can look when you change your position?
A problem that seems enormous when you’re standing right in front of it can look completely different when you take a few steps back. Sometimes we don’t need our circumstances to immediately change. We need a new perspective.
I was reminded of that lesson in an unexpected place—with a giraffe at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs.
Seeing a Giraffe Eye to Eye
The zoo has a raised platform that allows visitors to meet the giraffes at eye level.
Standing there, I held out a piece of lettuce and watched one lean toward me. I’ll call him Geoffrey. Normally, Geoffrey would have towered above me. A giraffe can stand around 17 feet tall, so seeing one from ground level means spending a lot of time looking up.
But this time, we were eye to eye. And suddenly I noticed things I might have missed otherwise.
His enormous eyes studied me with quiet curiosity. Long eyelashes framed them as his dark tongue curled around the lettuce in my hand. I could see the intricate patterns of his coat and the fur-covered, horn-like ossicones on his head.
I could even reach out and pet his face. Something that had seemed distant from the ground was now close enough to touch. The giraffe hadn’t changed. My position had. And because my position changed, so did everything I could see.
Our Problems Can Tower Over Us Too
Life can feel a little like standing at the bottom of that giraffe enclosure.
From ground level, everything looks big. The financial problem, a diagnosis, strained relationships, the decision you don’t know how to make, or maybe it’s the prayer that doesn’t seem to be getting answered.
When we’re standing in the middle of a difficult situation, it can become the only thing we see. We replay it in our minds. We imagine everything that could go wrong. Before long, our worries are towering over us.
The circumstances may be real. The difficulty may be real. But our view is limited.
Colossians 3:2 tells us:
“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”
That doesn’t mean pretending our problems don’t exist. It means remembering there is a perspective beyond the one we have right now.
God’s Word Gives Us a Higher Vantage Point
When I’m overwhelmed, my natural instinct is often to focus harder on whatever is wrong. I analyze it, worry about it, try to solve it, and then worry about it some more.
But spending time in God’s Word does something different. It lifts my eyes away from the problem long enough to remind me who God is. Scripture reminds me that God is faithful when I can’t see what He’s doing. He’s present when I feel alone. He sees what I can’t see, and he understands the entire story when I’m stuck staring at one difficult chapter.
The situation may not immediately change. But my perspective can. That’s what happened on that platform at the zoo. Geoffrey was the same giraffe whether I viewed him from below or looked him in the eye. Changing my position simply allowed me to see things I couldn’t see before.
Spending time with God can do the same thing with our circumstances. His truth gives us a higher vantage point, helping confusion begin to make sense and allowing anxiety to loosen some of its grip.
Before You Let the World Shape Your Perspective
We’re surrounded by voices telling us how to think about what’s happening in our lives. Social media has an opinion. The news has an opinion. Our friends and family probably have a few opinions too. And sometimes the loudest voice is our own fear.
That’s why we need to be intentional about which voice gets to shape our perspective first. When something is worrying you, try going to Scripture before going down the rabbit hole of everything that could go wrong. You don’t have to read ten chapters or complete an hour-long Bible study. Start with a few verses. Slow down. Pray over what you’re reading.
Ask God:
What am I not seeing right now?
What does Your Word say that my fear is making me forget?
How would this situation look if I viewed it through the truth of who you are?
You may not walk away with every answer. But you may walk away seeing the problem differently.
Sometimes the View Is What Needs to Change
I went to the zoo expecting to see a giraffe. I didn’t expect that giraffe to remind me how easily my perspective can become limited. Geoffrey looked completely different when I met him at eye level. There was so much more to notice once I wasn’t standing beneath him looking up.
Our problems can be like that too. When you’re standing underneath them, they can appear enormous. But God’s Word invites us onto a different platform—one built on His truth rather than our fear.
The next time something is towering over you, don’t only ask God to change the situation. Ask Him to change your view. Sometimes when the perspective changes, our understanding begins to change with it.
Faith Step: What’s been worrying you lately? Take a few minutes today to read God’s Word and ask Him to shape your perspective before the world does.
If you are a first responder or no one, I encourage you to check out last week’s blog post here: https://tezbrooks.com/tezbrooks/first-responders-finding-purpose-in-the-routine/
God Can Teach Us in Unexpected Places
A zoo, a farm, a walk through the countryside—I’ve discovered that spiritual lessons can show up in some pretty unexpected places.
That’s one reason I’m writing When Animals Preach, an upcoming book filled entirely with my own animal-inspired devotionals. It’s scheduled to release in late 2027, and I’m excited to continue sharing glimpses of the project along the way.
This new book is separate from my work with Guideposts, but if you’d like to read more of my animal devotionals now, you’ll find several in All God’s Creatures Daily Devotions 2027.
Pick up your copy and enjoy a year’s worth of faith-filled reflections from me and other contributing writers: https://guideposts.org/shop/product/all-gods-creatures-daily-devotions-2027/
