“Lord give me eyes to see things as you see them.” This has been the first of my five requests (see previous post). If I don’t see things the way God sees them then it will be almost impossible to lead a life or ministry that is pleasing to Him.
Now, truthfully, none of us think we have a distorted view of anything. We believe we see things as they are, but that cannot be true. We are not God; eternal, perfect, omniscient, omnipresent. Our particular view will be clouded and distorted by many things; human nature, predispositions, experiences, cultural upbringing, and how we have been taught by people who are made of the same stuff. We all have prejudices and live with people that have them too.
How then do we come to see things as God sees them? First, we must see God as He is. That will take place as we see HIm in the person of His Son, revealed in His Word by His Spirit. When I have a right view of God, I will have a right view of myself and of my circumstances. Only then will be able to understand what pleases Him. Paul expressed it this way in Ephesians 5:10, “Finding out (discerning) what pleases the Lord.”
I think too many of us think we have it all figured out. Then we pour all of our energy into “doing the will of God” – while all along God had something else in mind. Our present ministry may be good, noble, and seemingly productive…but not what God had intended. It would be an awful thing to finish your life and then realize that it looked nothing like God desired.
I am reminded of two biblical accounts:
- First, a blind servant and Elisha. In 2 Kings 6:15-17, we read, “When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, ‘Alas, my master! What shall we do?’ He said, ‘Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ Then Elisha prayed and said, ‘O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.’ So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” Reality was the same for both men, but not their ability to see it. Being able to see it makes all the difference in how we respond.
- Second, blind disciples and Jesus. In John 4:31-35, we read, “Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, ‘Rabbi, eat.’ But he said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you do not know about.’ So the disciples said to one another “has anyone brought him something to eat?’ Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.”
These disciples, as spiritual as they were, did not see what Jesus was seeing.
Are you blind too? These people were busy, active, and engaged in ministry, but they did not see things as God was seeing them. How often does that happen to us? Have you really ever stopped to think about it – or just assumed you are always right about everything?
That is why I pray a prayer like this every day:
Help me, Lord, to see things as you see them, to see you through the person of your Son, as revealed in your Word, and taught to me by your Spirit. Help me also to see people as you see them. Clear away the clouds and distortions of reality that I may have. Help me to see your will, not mine. Help me to be humble enough to admit it when I have been wrong or when I have held on to beliefs, attitudes, and opinions that are not yours. Help me to see your will. Help me to see how things should be in my life and in the ministry you have entrusted to me.