Last Monday night, my family and I were settling in to watch the Bengals play the Buffalo Bills when Demar Hamlin hit the turf, not quite midway through the first quarter. As we watched the scene unfold, my respect and appreciation for Zac Taylor went through the roof. Ensuing reports throughout the week confirmed it was the coaches and players who shut the game down. As we watched in real time, I looked at Mandie and said “That’s my coach.”
A meaningful reflection of Jesus happens when we operate within the perspective God has given us to impact someone in different perspective.
In the moments after the ambulance left the field, the two coaches convened with the referee. You could see it on Sean McDermott’s (Buffalo’s coach) face, his head was spinning. After a few more minutes, Zac Taylor walks back across the field, talks with McDermott a second time and the decision is made to take the teams to the locker rooms.
Perspective is an interesting thing. We all have one, but they can all be a little different depending upon how close we are to the situation. Coach Taylor was close to the situation, but he was not as close as Coach McDermott. In a moment when things were moving really fast on the Bills sideline, fifty-two yards was enough distance for Coach Taylor’s perspective to be different. Coach Taylor utilized his vantage point to speak into the situation.
Truth: God wants to use what we see from our perspective to speak into the situation of others.
Everyone we encounter is going through something. It may be good, bad, challenging, exciting or sad, but everyone is dealing with stuff. Our perspective of their situation will be different than theirs, because of proximity. As someone not immediately in the middle, we can sometimes see things differently and with a broader view. If we are attentive, we can share what we see in a manner that will benefit the person in the middle.
We Can Offer Words of:
- Encouragement — “You have improved since the last time I saw you play.”
- Confirmation — “I can totally see God’s hand on your life…Keep following Him.”
- Identification — “I see in you a genuine ability to lead people.”
- Proclamation — “I clearly see how you are cut out to do this thing.”
God shares His perfect perspective with us so we can speak valuable words into the lives of others at the right time.
Keep Reflecting Jesus!