Spiritual glasses
by Verena Johnson
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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 Corinthians 4:18).
Read 2 Corinthians 4:16 – 5:10
Not long ago, I found myself doing what I once swore I’d never ever do. Something that instantly marked someone as old when I was a teenager … I was catching up with a group of friends, and we were comparing medical conditions and operations, and yes, a few scars were even shown. Teenage me would have been horrified!
I must say, though, that as I get older, the idea of a whole new body in heaven in place of this deteriorating ‘earthly tent’ becomes more and more attractive!
In this passage, Paul urges us to ‘fix our eyes on what is unseen’, which, at first, sounds like a bit like an oxymoron. How can you look at what you can’t see? And if you can’t see it, how can you fix your eyes on it?
Of course, he’s talking about our spiritual eyes, but they can so easily be distracted. It’s easy to focus on the things we can see, touch and feel in this world. To be so caught up in our daily circumstances and the earthly struggles and trials we face that we lose our heavenly perspective. Sometimes, we need to put our spiritual glasses on to see the truth more clearly when it all becomes fuzzy.
I know about this because some years ago, I refused to entertain the idea that I might need glasses. (Another sign that my ‘earthly tent’ might be getting older.) Instead, I kept on squinting through the growing fuzziness. When someone finally gave me my first pair of reading glasses, I was amazed at the difference they made. I could see properly again and not get headaches from trying to read or sitting at the computer all day. I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t done it earlier!
So put on your spiritual glasses, and fix your eyes on this clear truth …
We are made for more than this. This life is not all there is. Our true eternal home is in heaven.
Keep your spiritual glasses on, and fix your eyes on that truth today – whatever this day holds for you. Fix your eyes on it amid everything. Fix your eyes on it regardless of your circumstances. Fix your eyes on it in the coming days, weeks and months.
You might be as amazed as I was at the difference some glasses can make.
Heavenly Father, thank you that you have a heavenly home for us with you. Thank you that we are made for more than this and that this life is not all there is. Help us fix our eyes on what is unseen and eternal in the midst of our earthly lives. Amen.
Verena is a Church Worker Support Officer for the LCA Church Worker Support Department, where it is her privilege to support congregations, pastors, lay workers, employees and volunteers of LCA. In her spare time, she is involved in drama ministry, women’s ministry and prayer ministry. She has three children and eight grandchildren in three different states.
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