"It's A Bird... It's A Plane... It's Superman". Perception is reality or so they say. Actually perceptions, which include feelings, may feel real but feelings are not facts. These feelings are generated by experiencing people, places, words, and other “things”. Our culture struggles as people use terms and talk about subjects yet two individuals in the same discussion may not be “on the same page”. We can throw around terms like forgiveness, love and compassion but do we all agree to the same working definitions of these concepts? Not only culture, but religion and different life experiences influence how individuals define such terms. This is the problem we face when attempting to understand and root through disagreements or simply carry on meaningful and understandable conversations with one another. It can also create disagreements, and differences of opinion as two people experience the same event, situation or circumstance.

So in a rather simple sense, reality is the way we perceive it. Our perception may or may not be true, yet our life experience and all of the various influence connected to it have shaped the way we know what we know and feel what we feel.

Entire books have been authored about perception, so for the brief treatment in this article we will give a broad and general understanding on the subject. As with so many areas of life we will best understand these life issues with the help of others. Please consider counseling as a proven, valuable, professional, spiritual and God-centered approach to healing, growth and change.

Part II

Proverbs 23:7 reads “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” Accurate perception can help us to “prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” This perceptual view often requires a transformation of mind (Rom. 12:2). When we are given a new-birth spirit following receiving Jesus as Savior, we are left with old thought patterns and ways of understanding God, others and self that require transformation. We all need this yet some of our old mind is instantly changed and our perception changes as we have a hope, and faith and love that did not exist prior to relationship with God. The need to be transformed is often different from others because we all have different life experiences. Individuals that have grown up with God, and “have always believed in Him,” have had both healthy and unhealthy perceptions. Maybe the parenting, teaching and general influence of others has distorted healthy perception, however we can create these problems all by ourselves - it happens to everyone throughout the lifespan.

One of our main struggles is tied to our “selfish” way of life. Much of this can be seen in our sinful choices whether intentional or unintentional. We are either the “captive” or the “prisoner” when sin occurs. Captives have been offended via sin and prisoners’ sin against others and are the offenders. In either case Jesus came to save both (Isa. 61:1) - more on this in Part III. Sin distorts how we think, feel, and act. Sin obscures perception and distortions in perception can lead to sin.

Some people really struggle with identifying themselves as “sinful.” Sin is simply thinking and behaving in unloving ways. “God is love” and sin and love cannot coexist in God’s nature. During our journey on this planet we are first justified – freed from the penalty of sin (physical and spiritual death or separation from God); sanctified – the ongoing process of being freed from the power of sin (offenders and offended); glorified – free from the presence of sin (eternal life with God – heaven). Willfulness and willingness have much to do with whether we’re being freed from the power of sin or unwilling to be sanctified. More on this and the change process in Part III.

Through our experiences of what we define as real we develop “filters” that we automatically see through. Once a person has attached truth to what they are thinking this becomes a belief or an assumption. The assumption may or may not be true. Yet, we’re often unaware that what we define as true is nothing more than our attempt to make meaning and understanding of the experience.

So, if a filter (perceptual distortion or inaccurate observation or interpretation) is in place it will effectively blur our “knowing the truth”. We don’t sense freedom and peace in these situations rather we experience bondage, anxiety, fear etc. These beliefs or assumptions about life then create struggles with relationships, school, work, parenting, ministry, and on and on. It doesn’t matter if we believe a lie (assume it is real), the consequences will still be lived out (experienced, sensed, felt) as if the belief were true. Let’s suppose we’re logically aware of the false nature of the belief. Our emotions and what is felt can still give the impression that the belief is true (our head and heart don’t match).

Here is an example of how perception distorts the truth. Many individuals have a fear of spiders. For many it’s creepy to get too close to one of these creatures or worse yet have one crawl on you. Just seeing a spider can produce a threat or sense of fear. Where did that fear originate? How did the belief take hold in the experience? Maybe, when a child was instructed by a parent or caregiver to “STOP!” or told “DO NOT TOUCH THAT!” the well-meaning adult was only trying to help keep the child safe. The global caution a toddler or elementary age child is given is a safeguard, as the ability to differentiate the kind of spider (deadly vs. mildly poisonous), is not within their ability to reason. It might also be that the adult learned this somewhere along their timeline of growing up – they also experience a fear of spiders.

Now if the spider was a Black Widow or Brown Recluse (at least in the U.S.) the alarm is real and requires a healthy caution and distance to guard against harm or even death. However the child has learned, assumed, and believes that whatever resembles one of these destructive spiders need be avoided and feared. So, the experience is in place and carries right into adolescence and adulthood – although not true. Even when the capacity to abstract think (approximately ages 9-11) is present and accurate information acquired about deadly and non-deadly spiders is learned, knowledge alone doesn’t change experience.

Part II looked at how perceptual distortions are created and why we experience the struggle with God, self and others. Part III will explore pathways to healthy perceptions, assumptions and beliefs. Also some answers will give direction to how we can best seek transformation, sanctification, willingness vs. willfulness, and freedom from the power of sin whether captive or prisoner.  When we really know the truth (head and heart; thought and emotion) we will find freedom and peace.