To be truly happy, you need a new perspective

One of the interesting observations I’ve made by studying Scripture is that I am very similar to many people in the Bible. You probably are too. While cultures have certainly changed over time, people in general really have remained the same. A great example of this is the man named Asaph who wrote Psalm 73.

Asaph was a choir director in the service of David, and by judging his vocation, it is apparent that he was a man of God. Yet, like many modern people, he slipped into the trap of focusing on temporary worldly prosperity rather than the eternal benefits derived from the truths of God. Asaph confesses that he “envied the proud when (he) saw them prosper despite their wickedness” (NLT). He likewise said such people were able to “take possession of the earth.” Asaph even goes as far as to say in paraphrase, “I try to follow God and live right in vain. I even try to live my life as best as I can, yet all I get is misery while the wicked have it made in life. What a waste of my time.” I’ve slid down the same slope.

However, we also discover Asaph declared doing so was him “slipping” into error. Asaph realized that thinking a pursuit of the enticements of life was better than serving God was a slippery slope. Perhaps you’ve “slipped” into error as well. How many times have you dreamed that winning the lottery or holding more power was the key to happiness? How many times have you thought that even evil people seem to get away with corruption while living better lives than you do? Asaph did the same thing, but he recognized that this mode of thinking was in fact a lie.

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Like many of us, Asaph initially took a human perspective rather than God’s perspective on life. He also was able to then show us that such thinking is a trap. Verse 16 declares, “When I tried to understand (that living a Godly life is a waste of time), it was oppressive to me until I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.” Despite initial feelings of hopelessness, Asaph entered the presence of God which enabled him to see the truth that his perception was incorrect.

The thing I like about Asaph is that he shows us his humanity. He took the wrong perspective about life, realized it was incorrect, and senselessly allowed it to grieve him, and eventually concluded that he did so out of ignorance of God’s Word and needed to change his outlook. Asaph was a real, flawed man just as I am, but he was able to learn and redirect his steps. This gives us hope because we can do the same!

Lies are combated with truth, and Asaph gives us some truth regarding his situation. Verses 23-28 inform us that God is always with us, which includes those times in life when we are grieved and feel like our lives are a waste of time. We learn that God guides us with his counsel. This tells us that God is our point man and that he indeed provides us with direction. When we have the wrong perspective in life, we tend to think others have it better than us, but God tells us “not so.” Better yet, verse 26 explains that our strength comes from God. Since He is eternal and almighty, what a strength we have!

Thoughts believing that glory, happiness, and “the good life” are found in riches and during easy times are only a slippery slope and can cause us a great deal of grief if we buy into such lies. Some people even go as far as to pursue this lie and attempt to live it out. Tragically, doing so yields a life similar to that of the character Scrooge from A Christmas Carol.

Reality is that we need to “enter God’s sanctuary” and allow his truths to enable us to be realistic about life. Failure to do so prevents us from taking inventory of our worldview, which puts us on the slippery slope toward error. May we instead have a realistic expectation for our lives where we can, like Asaph, declare, “It is good to be near God.”