Magnifying is enlarging the appearance of an object without changing the physical size of that object. This comes in handy when searching out bugs in the yard, retrieving a splinter, or reading text (which that would be called reading glasses, lol).

Did you know we can also magnify circumstances? Unlike an object, this gets tricky because a circumstance doesn’t have physical borders, but we have the power and authority to create the borders. Magnification can also enlarge the truth (yes, exaggeration), resulting in false or misleading information.

You can Wiki a more complex system, but basically we receive environmental input, sensory becomes engaged, and we filter the information so it somehow becomes relevant to us. We use our past experience and worldly view, essentially our values, to shape the information obtained.

Right now, what is getting the magnification treatment in your life? Are you magnifying the problem or are you magnifying the answer? Are you magnifying doubt or are you magnifying truth? What are you focusing on now and in the days ahead?

Let’s take you to a story that’s well known to most from the NIV translation of the Bible taken from Numbers 13. It’s a story about spies that had to go and spy out a land God was going to give them. A team of twelve spies was sent out to see what the land held; the fruit, the soil, the terrain. This is the report they brought back:

“We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are fierce and powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We saw giants of Anak spread out over all the hill country.

One of the spies silenced the people and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”

But the men who had gone with him spread scary rumors and frightened the peope by saying, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”

The ten spies came back with a magnification of what they couldn’t do. How is it possible that two other people saw the situation differently?

It did come to pass the people took possession of the Promised Land. It didn’t come without a few fights, but they took it.

This story isn’t told to undermine or dismiss the hardship, disappointment, or the loss people are facing today. Rather, this is a story to say in spite of all that is happening how will I rise above? What will I magnify today? What will I magnify tomorrow?

We have a choice. In any adversity, our emotions can get carried away and add problems to the problems. However, we can shift our focus and magnify the solution on how to move forward.

Be mindful of who or what you are listening to and who or what has influence over you. This external input feeds your thoughts. Those thoughts turn into actions and actions today will determine your tomorrows. Choose well.

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