Clean Your Glasses

I was recently speaking with some friends when I noticed that one of them was wearing glasses that desperately needed cleaning. I wondered how this person did not realize that his vision was being impaired. And then I remembered a time in college when a close friend of mine actually took my glasses off of my face.  She cleaned them because she could no longer tolerate the dirty lenses and politely returned them to my face. Until I had the clean glasses back on, I had not even realized that my vision had been so compromised by the dirt. 

How often do we let the cares and distractions of daily life obscure our spiritual vision. It begins with just a speck or two. This may start with busyness and the mundane tasks associated with everyday life. A wrong look or miss understood word from another can add a few more marks to our vision. A small hardship or unexpected trial may cause more specks to pile up until suddenly our vision has become distorted. Because this has happened so slowly, we are unaware that we are not clearly seeing God’s plan for us. 

Jesus told us, “The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is sound, your entire body will be full of light.” (Matthew 6:27 AMP)  It is imperative that we see the Word of God and His plans clearly. We must seek the revelation of God’s true intent when we study His Word and encounter situations in our lives. In 2 Kings an army was coming against the prophet Elisha. When his servant saw the chariots and horses of Syria he was afraid. Elisha prayed for the servant’s eyes to be opened and he then saw horses and chariots of fire. (See 2 Kings 6:13–17) Elisha’s vision was clear and complete. The horses and chariots from Syria were real, but so were the horses and chariots of fire that were from the Lord. The servant’s vision had been partially obscured by fear.  He had first seen only the enemy. 

The best plan for visual clarity is to take our own spiritual glasses off and clean them regularly. This is done with the Word, prayer and continually keeping our hearts right before God. The Apostle Paul speaks of, “…having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word,” (Ephesians 5:26 AMP) and he encourages us to, “…be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].” (Romans 12:2 AMP)   Following this plan for our lives will keep us seeing clearly. 

Sometimes another, like my college friend, may come alongside to help clear things up. The Bible tells us, “…let our lives lovingly express truth [in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly]. Enfolded in love, let us grow up in every way and in all things into Him Who is the Head, [even] Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).” (Ephesians 4:15 AMP) We are also commanded, “Brethren, if any person is overtaken in misconduct or sin of any sort, you who are spiritual [who are responsive to and controlled by the Spirit] should set him right and restore and reinstate him, without any sense of superiority and with all gentleness, keeping an attentive eye on yourself, lest you should be tempted also.” (Galatians 6:1 AMP)  When we are the ones to help a brother or sister in Christ, we must always follow this direction of sincere love and gentleness. 

Whether it is our own vision or that of another that requires clarity, the best plan is to always start with prayer. Paul wrote,  “[For I always pray to] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him,  By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones),  And [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength,” (Ephesians 1:17-19 AMP)  Our desire and our prayer for all is to know and understand the things of God. 

So check your vision and go about your day with clarity. May the prayer of your heart be, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Your law.” (Psalm 119:18 AMP)