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Fresh Start: Shift Your Perspective
- Free Church
- 7 days ago
- 4 min read
Fresh Start: Shift Your Perspective | Gareth Nicholson | 11 January 2026
The other day, as we were leaving from our holiday house, it was still dark, so I flipped the lights on so that we could pack. Bad idea. There was a swarm of angry bees everywhere. 🐝
I froze. Because last time I got stung, my face swelled up badly. That memory kicked in fast. Suddenly, a moment in the present was shaped by something from the past.
And that’s when it hit me.
Most creatures live purely in the present. They react to what’s happening right now. But humans are different.
We can reflect on the past, live in the present, and imagine the future - all at the same time.
That’s a gift. But it’s also a responsibility.
Wisdom lives in what we might call holistic time:
Reflection informs prospection (how we think about the future)
Prospection redeems reflection
When reflection has no future focus, it often turns into regret:
“I should’ve… I would’ve… I could’ve…”
And when prospection has no reflection, it turns into fantasy - or worse, a repeat of old mistakes.
A fresh start doesn’t come from ignoring the past or wishing for a better future. It comes from learning how to hold the past, present, and future together in the right way.
Imagine Your Future for a Moment
Take a second and think about this:
Where do you want to be one year from now?
What would you wish you had done differently?
In your habits?
Your finances?
Your relationships?
Your walk with God?
This is usually where New Year’s resolutions come in… and also where they fall apart.
Why Resolutions So Often Fail
1. We struggle to stick with them. We start with the best intentions, and then life happens. And often the areas we most want to change feel too big to tackle - marriage tension, anger, burnout, finances.
2. We underestimate how much change is actually possible. Most of us assume our future self will be very similar to our past self. We think change is linear and limited.
But psychologist Daniel Gilbert says it best:
“Human beings are works in progress that mistakenly think they’re finished.”
When we look back five or ten years, we’re usually shocked by how much has changed. Yet when we look forward, we assume not much will.
The problem isn’t that we’re unfinished. The problem is thinking we are finished.
You’re not behind. You’re not too far gone. You’re just not done yet.
A Fresh Start Begins With a New Perspective
Real change doesn’t begin with behaviour - it begins with vision.
The apostle Paul writes:
“From now on, then, we do not know anyone from a worldly perspective. Even if we have known Christ from a worldly perspective, yet now we no longer know him in this way” 2 Corinthians 5:16 (CSB)
Paul’s entire worldview shifted when he encountered Jesus. Nothing changed more than how he saw.
Imagine a piece of artwork on an easel - covered, facing the wrong direction. From one angle, you can’t see it properly at all. But from the right angle, everything becomes clear.
There are two ways of seeing life:
A worldly perspective
A God-shaped perspective
If you want a new life, you need a new lens.
Because your perspective:
Shapes your identity (who you think you are)
Informs your values (what matters most)
Directs your decisions (how you live)
Drives your behaviours (why you do what you do)
Change your perspective, and you change your life.
The Gospel: God’s Big Plan
The Gospel invites us into a bigger story:
God loves you
Jesus gave His life for you
You’re invited to live not for yourself, but for Him
Your past does not define you
Your future is not just a small improvement on yesterday - it’s filled with God’s purpose and potential
Imagine if God’s big plan is actually true. I’m convinced with every fibre of my being that it is.
Two Shifts for a Fresh Start
As we begin this FRESH START series, here are two practical shifts to make this week:
Shift 1: From Intention to Action
We all want change. But transformation begins when we stop waiting for the “right moment” and start taking the next step.
Jesus said the difference between the wise and foolish builders wasn’t knowledge - it was action (Matthew 7).
Shift 2: From Blame to Responsibility
Your past is not meant to be a prison - it’s a teacher.
Blame shows up when:
Problems are always external
Our story centres on what was done to us
Defensiveness becomes our default response
You can’t change what happened - but you can reframe its meaning. That’s your responsibility.
Life Group Discussion Questions
Looking Back
What is one moment from the past year that shaped you in some way?
Looking Ahead
Where would you like to be one year from now?
Perspective
Is there an area of your life where you need to see things more through God’s perspective than your own?
Taking Action
What is one small step you can take this week toward the change you want to see?
Responsibility
What is something from your past that God might be inviting you to learn from rather than live in?
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