Thursday, August 23, 2007

Spiritual Contact Lenses

I've worn thick, Coke bottle glasses since I was in the fourth grade. Take my glasses or my contacts away and I wouldn't be able to see to get around. I remember as a child having perfect vision and getting to the point to where I couldn't make out anything on the chalkboard at school. Talk about frustration. When I got in junior high, I graduated to contact lenses and it seemed like I could see 100% better than with my glasses. The contacts gave me an entirely new perspective.

In a similar way, many of us are so focused on the future that we can't understand the things happening now to us. Things don't appear to be taking us in the direction we want to go and our immediate relationships seem strangely out of focus. We find ourselves straining to see our lives more clearly. This is why some people have problems with the sovereignty of God. They look at the future, thinking they see it clearly and have difficulty accepting and handling hurts, setbacks and adversities in daily life. How could this all be coming from God?

One reason we have problems with God's sovereignty in the face of adversity is that our vision is temporal and limited. God, however, sees everything under the heavens, from eternity past to eternity future. Job 28:24 says, "For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens."

What we need are spiritual contact lenses. We need a proper perspective on the present in light of the eternal. Only faith with do.

1 comment:

Monica said...

I vividly remember the "coke bottle" glasses, but more importantly, I remember the most intoxicating little giggles coming from a precious little girl. I can still hear the giggles and it puts a smile on my face. I saw your parents in Batesville just before your announcement but they didn't share your good news. Congrats on the new baby!!