My mother constantly reminded me how important it is to make a good first impression when I meet someone new. It wasn’t until I was much older that I realized why that was so important. It is then that a person begins to form their perception of us and that perception soon becomes reality to them whether it is accurate or not. I have mentioned before that as a corporate trainer, my class on customer service included the concept of perceived value. (Customer perception of your service will determine how valuable it is to them.) We each have a perception of our world and those who are in it with us.
It has been a long time since I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I heard a gospel song recently titled, “The Longer I Serve Him, the Sweeter He Grows”. I love the words of that song because I can relate to them completely. Of course, God has not changed or grown over the years; it is my perception of Him that has grown sweeter and dearer to me as I continue to draw closer and closer to Him.
As Christians, we are provided with God’s own Spirit within us. The Holy Spirit guides us, instructs us, protects us and strengthens us as we travel along the path God has chosen for us in this life. One huge benefit of having His presence in our life is that He helps us form true, accurate perceptions. Instead of my perceptions becoming reality to me, my perceptions are based on the reality of His truth. That not only gives me a clearer view of the world around me, but it also gives me an accurate mirror in which to see myself. The Holy Spirit shows me how God sees me and His perception is always true.
Are we making full use of the Holy Spirit within us? We need to study God’s word with His insight and understanding. We need to be sensitive to His prompting to do and say what is pleasing to God and of service to others. Most of all, we need to perceive the pain and needs of those around us so that we can provide them with help, encouragement and intercessory prayer. That is what true Christian love looks like.