I have grown to love photography over the past several years. It started on my first trip to Israel. I took a new camera, and as I played with light, shadows, perspective, and patterns, I began to look at my surroundings with a different perspective. I noticed things I might have previously passed over. I paid close attention as I walk by or around something, noticing small perspective changes with each step.

As much as I enjoy photography, there are challenges that come along with it. On a recent trip, I was reminded over and over how difficult it is to have more than one perspective at once. I like the power of my zoom lens, because it allows me to pick out and capture small details. However, sometimes I find myself too close to something to capture a broader view, and it’s frustrating when I can only get a portion of an animal or building. Changing perspective requires changing lenses, which takes time, which I don’t always have when I’m trying to capture a moving critter or shadow. Changing lenses also requires coordination, which I don’t always have when I’m already juggling other things in my hands, or if I’m wearing my gloves.

I found another solution. My phone takes good pictures with a wide perspective, so I kept my zoom lens on my camera around my neck, and my phone in my pocket. Both were convenient, so I could choose the best perspective for the best capture.

In everyday life, we need to have different perspectives available, too. We need to become practiced enough with the benefits and downfalls of various perspectives that we can determine which is best for each circumstance and interaction. Each needs to be accurate. In other words, we need to capture the truth of reality with no filter. We don’t want to distort what is around us because of the perspective we choose. We don’t want to taint what is true. However, we can only righteously live out God’s will when we’re willing to discern the best tools to use to get the most—His most—out of each experience.

God is many characteristics at once—just, merciful, faithful, good, forgiving, convicting, patient, pursuant, corrective, and so on. He knows the best combination of His qualities to apply to each and every situation. His perspective is all-knowing, so He incorporates it all in just the right mixture. We, on the other hand, have difficulty determining when to stand up and when to sit down, when to shut up and when to speak up, when to keep our distance in caution and when to take compassionate risks. We often see our options as either/or choices that take time and effort to change.

But God puts all the same characteristics in us that He has, because we’re made in His image (well, except the things like sovereignty and omniscience that only He can possess and contain). We don’t have to clunkily change perspectives as if we can only have one. We can become familiar enough with all that God provides us and keep them readily available so we can respond with the best…with His help, of course!