Before going into ministry, I was a photography teacher. Photography, like any art form, is a marriage of creative and technical skill. I observed two types of photographers. Some thrived creatively, but hadn’t invested in understanding their equipment. Others were absorbed in gadgets and proper exposure settings, but their images—while properly executed—were flat and lifeless.I encouraged my students with two pieces of advice that had the potential to take them to the next level creatively and technically, and would continue to strengthen the body of their work over the years. When I feel frustrated, out of touch, or just stuck, I apply the principles of perspective and practice.
Perspective
One of the simplest ways to stretch creative skill is to discipline ourselves to consider the world through multiple points of view. I encouraged my students to photograph their subject according to their first impulse; the “picture” they saw in their mind from the beginning. Then I encouraged them to find at least two more ways to photograph the subject, each completely new and different from the rest.
In life, perspective means quite a lot. We predominantly see things from our own point of view. When I find myself frustrated with a person—or any situation—I consider multiple perspectives. I begin by applying three lenses: my own, an objective view of the other person or situation, and then I ask God to show me how He sees it.
If a good friend has a terrible attitude and complains about the same thing over and over, never taking my advice, I’m going to get frustrated. But as I consider lenses beyond my own, my perspective gets deeper. I observe from her eyes; that she is in a lonely marriage with a husband who makes her feel small. She needs someone she can trust, someone to support her and hold her up. She isn’t going to shift her thinking overnight. She comes to me because she knows I will listen. When I open my eyes to what God sees, we go deeper still. She is an intricately created daughter of the King. Actual blood ran red for her on the cross. She was bought with a price, and she is priceless. She may be complaining about others, but this reveals how she views herself. God weeps with her as He leads her to know Him more deeply, to know that she is loved and treasured. He is on the move in her life, and I am privileged to watch Him work.
Practice
The companion to perspective is practice. I have instructed many students with remarkable creative insight who fail to capture the images they see “in their head” with their camera. This is one of the primary reasons new photographers seek advice. In this case, we need to apply practical discipline to understand the use of natural light and the building blocks of exposure, to understand how our equipment works, to know what every setting means; this is how we discover our true potential. This requires us to admit what we have not been doing correctly, what we don’t know, where we’ve cut corners. It is not always fun, but if we are brave, we select one point that needs improvement and simply begin.
It is tempting to see difficult situations (or people) as they are without considering how they might be improved. To dwell on what could be is to take an incredible step of faith, because once we understand what is fundamentally breaking down, once we own how we may be contributing to the problem, we are responsible to act.
In the case of my friend, this becomes very convicting. When I consider how I have been contributing to this situation, I see where I’ve fallen short. As I apply multiple perspectives, I see where I’ve not allowed God to use me to my full potential in her life. I’ve listened, I’ve loved on her, I’ve been present, I’ve relied on my strengths of practical solutions and advice- but how could I go deeper into the heart of what is happening here? Have I prayed for her in my own heart? Really prayed? How about stopping right in the middle of our conversation to say, “You know what, I just want to pray for you about this- right now- would that be ok?” Of course it would be ok. I could take that moment to pray into the core of her needs, to pray the presence of Jesus right there where she feels so empty. In any situation, there is always room for more of God, less of me.
Transformation
The disciplines of perspective and practice open the door for the Holy Spirit to transform every area of life; marriage, motherhood, work, ministry, keeping a house. In every frustrating moment, in any season when I’ve just “had it,” these principles are waiting to be applied. There is no end to the beauty we discover when we are alert and open to the grand depth, goodness, and creativity of God.
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