What Do You See? 4 Tips to Help You Have the Right Perspective

She thought of the dirty diaper, the screaming baby, the dropped cake…

Parenting isn’t a glorious, easy endeavor, with no strings attached. The physical demands can be exhausting, and the daily grind overwhelming.

It’s so easy to slip into reaction mode as a parent. There are so many things you want to get done, but instead you spend the whole day reacting to every child’s needs.

But, like the video showed, sometimes we’re looking at things from the wrong perspective.

And that doesn’t just apply to parenting. However you see your life right now, it may just be in how you’re looking at it. Here are four tips to help you have the right perspective:

1. Pray. Prayer got me through so many moments of stress or self-denial. A few times, I remember rocking a crying baby while I cried with them. Potty training seemed to be one of the bigger hurdles for me! There were times I wished I could escape or run away and do something important and glamorous, but instead I would pray for help. Find moments throughout your day to talk to God and infuse His power into your circumstances.

2. Remind yourself, “This too shall pass.” When I would hit a wall and feel like I couldn’t give of myself one more minute, (which happened often) I tried to remind myself that those moments would soon pass. I can’t imagine what I would have lost had I opted for what would have been only moments of temporal pleasures. The temptation to escape from pressure is always there, at some times more than others, but it’s sticking to the commitment when we don’t always see the outcome that makes it worthwhile.

**3. Pay attention to your thoughts. **Always remember that you don’t have to think on everything that pops into your head. The Bible says that we’re to take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. Measure what you’re thinking against what God’s Word says, and take thoughts captive that don’t line up with what the Bible says and cast them down.

The goal of the enemy is always to make your problems or circumstances look bigger than God. The enemy wants you to focus on the dishes piling up or the fighting over toys or how you feel like you never have a minute to yourself. You don’t have to buy what the enemy is trying to sell you.

This is why I always say that memory verses aren’t just for kids; they’re for everyone. If you memorize Scriptures, you’ll have them ready and waiting to replace negative thoughts that try to come up and to prevent negative emotions from rising up when the days seem really long and tiring.

When my children were little, I put Scriptures and the promises of God everywhere in our home. In fact, since I used to run into the bathroom when I felt depressed or when I was throwing myself a pity-party (because it was my only quiet place), I even put Scriptures there.

4. Remember, your attitude is a choice. While you don’t necessarily get to choose what happens in your day-to-day, you do get to choose your response to things. Know that you will probably blow it sometimes, but don’t get discouraged. Do your best keep an attitude of joy and gratitude, and keep a godly perspective. Get joyful! Laugh at things when they go wrong and refuse to let them get you down. Keep choosing joy.

So often a wrong perspective comes from being stuck in old patterns of thinking. It’s time to break free, be the best you can be, and live the life God wants for you!

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