We naturally see life from our perspective and assume this is reality itself. But it’s only our limited, and oftentimes flawed, point of view. And this means the story we tell ourselves might not be true. We must occasionally pause and consider if the story we’re telling is correct. And this is generally an issue of interpretation more than mere facts.
For instance, we might look back to childhood and conclude that our classmates were mean to us because we didn’t measure up, or that our girlfriend broke up with us because we are not manly enough, or that our wife doesn’t want to have sex with us because we just don’t have what it takes to turn her on. Of course, there might be elements of truth in all of these stories. But we’re also telling the story from our point of view, which is never completely objective.
Often our own doubts, fears, and insecurities filter how we interpret the events of our life. To be sure, childhood bullies, old girlfriends, and our wife all have their own story, perspectives, and reasons for doing what they do. And rarely are we the ultimate center of their rationale, however much we’re impacted personally by the choices they make.
It’s a mistake then to accept their reasoning as the final verdict on us and our story. We must still take it with a grain of salt even when they plainly tell us their motivations. To share their motivation is simply to share their point of view on the issue, which is not the ultimate reality.
Certainly, we all have our blind spots. But we must filter the story we tell ourselves, and the story others tell about us, through God’s truth. This is the only way we can have confidence we’re telling our story rightly.
In the end, consider again the story you’re telling yourself. Anchor yourself in God’s truth, as your perspective, as well as others, is limited and flawed.
