What Do You See? - The Crosswalk Devotional - May 6
What Do You See?
By Megan J. Conner
Bible Reading:
“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Cor. 4:18 (NIV)
One day, while riding in the car with my mother-in-law, she shared a story with me from her younger parenting years, when she unexpectedly discovered her only daughter needed glasses. Apparently, at the time, my sister-in-law was so accustomed to the vision she was born with that it took years for anyone to recognize her eyesight was relatively poor. It was all she had known, so she compensated for her unrealized lack of clarity without much notice. Once her challenges were revealed, she was taken to an eye doctor and properly diagnosed. Glasses were ordered, and they waited anxiously for the frames to come in. After the fitting was complete, my mother-in-law buckled her young daughter back into the car, and they headed home. While driving, she heard from the backseat, “Mommy… is that what trees look like?!” All this time, her vision had been so blurred that she had no idea trees were comprised of individual leaves.
Sometimes, it can be exactly the same for us. What we believe is seen with clarity is viewed through a distorted lens. The Bible is full of literal and metaphorical references to blindness. There are countless stories of individuals being plagued by this physical limitation. One example can be found in the gospel of Mark.
“They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, ‘Do you see anything?’ He looked up and said, ‘I see people; they look like trees walking around.’ Once more, Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.” Mark 8:22-25 (NIV)
Through this miraculous work, Jesus grants the blind man the gift of literal sight, demonstrating His restorative power in this world. However, several biblical examples also reference those who are spiritually sightless. John shares another version of this same healing account in his gospel, followed by an investigation conducted by the Pharisees. During his interaction with the religious leaders of the day, Jesus declared their souls were darkened and lacked sight.
“Jesus said, ’For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.’ Some Pharisees with him heard him say this and asked, ‘What? Are we blind too?’ Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.” John 9:35-41 (NIV)
Though invisible to the naked eye, spiritual blindness can be more detrimental than the complete loss of physical eyesight. When faced with the severity of sin’s effects, Jesus challenged listeners to gouge out their own eyes if their vision was drawing them into spiritual darkness during his Sermon on the Mount in Matt. 5:29. Sounds a bit overdramatic to our modern-day senses, right? But Jesus is highlighting the value of the eternal versus the temporal. We all have mortal bodies. One day, they will pass away. So, while we may struggle with aging, illness, or other limitations on earth, our physical beings will ultimately pass away. There is nothing any of us can do to prevent that outcome. However, our spirits will endure. They are eternally precious. They will never pass away. Doesn’t that truth shift our perspectives?
When Paul shares our key scripture in today’s devotional, 2 Corinthians, he calls his readers to patiently endure and hold on to courage while encountering worldly suffering. He exhorts them to look beyond their “light and momentary afflictions” towards that which endures beyond time—to look towards eternity. When we lift our eyes to heaven, a new light shines upon our difficult or undesirable circumstances.
For there is where we find hope. It is there that we see a promised home and future. Let us “…fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV)
Intersecting Faith & Life:
Have you been struggling to see the forest through the trees in your life circumstances? How does shifting your focus from the temporal to the eternal inspire hope or offer peace? One of the practices that dramatically changed my fixation on that which is fading away was considering how I would handle today if I knew it was my final day on this planet. Would I spend it obsessing and worrying about everything I cannot control or wallowing in my perceived lack instead of recognizing my blessings? No, I would treasure moments with the ones I love most and celebrate the gift of the present while focusing on an eternity spent with the Lord in the future. How will you change the way you see the gift of today?
Further Reading:
2 Corinthians 4
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Tom Merton
To read more from Megan, check out her Blog, Just One More Chapter. If you would like to connect further with Megan, you can discover more on her Website, on Facebook, or Instagram.
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Related Resource: 3 Simple Steps to Manage Your Emotions
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