1.the act or faculty of apprehending by means of the senses or of the mind; cognition; understanding.
Last week, Steven Furtick from Elevation Church spoke at NewSpring Church about the "Perception Principle"...Here is a paraphrase of his definition:
"We receive what we perceive."
How we view life, people, our careers, etc will produce results in line with our perception. If we perceive ourselves as losers, then we will be losers. But if we perceive ourselves as God perceives us, as His children created in His image, then we will realize and receive the victory we have in Christ.
How we perceive our family and friends is what we will receive. If we are always judging or criticizing them, always telling them they are stupid or lazy, then I can almost guarantee you that we will only receive stupid and lazy results from them. But imagine if you said to your wife or husband, "baby, you got what it takes today!"....or, "Son, you realize you are anointed by God Almighty to do amazing things for His Kingdom." They would walk out of the house ready to blaze for God's Glory!
If you see yourself as someone who God will use to do "mighty wonders" through, then imagine what you can do with His power...but if you perceive yourself as barely making it through the day, then you will probably barely make it through the day...
You and I need to take a look at what we are receiving and adjust our perceptions accordingly...
