Vision

I recently got some new glasses.  I tried to take a selfie with them on, but all of them turned out horribly, so here is a picture of just the glasses:

Now, I know they are not very remarkable, just from looking at the picture, but when I tried them on...wow!  I realized just how blind I had been because I could see SO WELL.  I knew that the small print had been getting smaller and that my eyes were getting more tired, but I had no idea just how bad my vision was until I put on my new pair of glasses!  When I got home, I really could read the small print--it was amazing!

In thinking about this, I think daily time with God functions the same way in our lives.  We are all prone to "blind spots" spiritually; in fact, the Bible tells us that we really cannot see things God's way unless His Spirit lives in us.  We may, in fact, not realize just how blind we are to the things of God until we open the Bible.  This, combined with asking for the Holy Spirit to help us, gives us vision to see things God's way.  We realize that we were blind in how we approached a situation (compared to how God would have wanted us to approach it) or how blind we are in relationships, parenting, and just our understanding of God. 

But we can't just leave it there; we have to apply what we have learned into our everyday lives.  If I don't use my new glasses, I won't see much, I can tell you that!  In the same way, in order to continue to see things God's way, we need to spend time with Him daily and in the Bible.  I am far from perfect in consistent time with Him...but I am realizing more and more how little I truly see without God.  If we don't see with our eyes, we run into things and can break things and cause a lot of havoc to those around us.  Spiritually, we can run into obstacles and break relationships and...cause a lot of havoc,, too, if we are not spending time with God.  And the more time we spend with Him, the more He gives us a clear picture of His vision for our lives. 

One of my favorite hymns talks about vision.  The words are old, but beautifully, written:

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art

High King of Heaven, my victory won
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heav’n’s Sun
Heart of my own heart, whate’er befall
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all

So, if you wear glasses...or if you see someone who does...let that be a reminder to get your spiritual vision aligned with God today!  Our spiritual eyes need a checkup, too!