Zoom Out

It is one of those seasons where so many of my conversations with people go to the same place: people feeling stretched and stressed, feeling resentful toward others, letting anxiety overwhelm them and pull them into apathy. As I have sought to encourage those around me and grow myself, the same word keeps coming to me from the Lord: “Zoom out.”

“Zoom out” means asking the Lord to give us a bigger picture of who He is, who we are, and where we are going. For instance, I talked to someone recently who was struggling with some resentments in marriage. Zooming out in this case means seeing the bigger picture of what marriage is all about. It also means zooming out to remember our role in marriage and God’s promises of giving us everything we need to love others as we would ourselves. If we allow God to help us zoom out, we remember that marriage is less about what we want or get out of it, and more about the privilege we get from the Lord to serve the person He has given us. We also remember that it is only by His grace and strength that we can love others in our life.

In other situations, people have been overwhelmed by work or school responsibilities. In those situations, zooming out means remembering why we are here on this planet. It is also about putting work and school into their proper places within the context of our life. We remember that we are created to “glorify God and enjoy him forever.” We also remember that if God calls us to something, then He will provide what we need to accomplish that calling.

More often than not the world encourages us to “zoom in,” but if we zoom in, the weight of the things we are experiencing will easily overwhelm us. Something that I am learning and encouraging others to grow in this year is to “zoom out.” Ask the Lord to help you see your world the way He sees it. I’m praying for us all to learn this better as we jump into 2023.