The Lenses Through Which We See - Part 1

I recently had cataract surgeries on each eye. What a blessing to be able to see clearly again! It has been 7+ years! I was sitting on our screened porch this morning trying to rest my eyes and my mind while my eyes continued to heal. I am not able to read yet so a dear friend told me “to rest”. These are the times when you fully realize how important your eyes are and how we use them 24/7. When they are not fully focused, then you just rest!

God began to show me how we need Him to see this world in a spiritual way and how we can achieve that by the implantation of new lenses which give the clarity of new life.

As I was listening to the birds singing their various songs and the boats speeding down the lake, I began to think about the 2nd cataract surgery which I had experienced one day ago. The ophthalmologist had removed the old lens and replaced it with a new one. I knew that in a few days, my eye would be clearing because with the first eye, it was as clear as if someone had flipped a switch and turned the light on! My sight was so distinctive; so defined; so clear and crisp, and it extended so far into the distance! Just by replacing the old, worn out, blurry lens with a new crisp, clear lens.

Think of this spiritually, the old lens represented the “old man” (yours and my way of doing things; making our plans for our life; looking only through our natural lenses); the man who didn’t know Jesus and was guided by his own personal decisions; who didn’t know the truth of the gospel; and whose mind was filled with negative thoughts and lack of self-worth. The old lens was cloudy, blurry, worn out, and worn thin. My sight was blurry after about 10 feet. The only way I could recognize a person was by their walk, the color of their hair, and/or their voice. My quality of life was compromised as was my self-confidence. When you can’t see clearly, you tend to stay to a comfortable path or routine - one that is well-known. I could drive around town to places I was familiar with. I even drove to the town 25 miles away because I knew the route very well, and I knew there would be very little traffic. However, I did not have the confidence to go out in public very much by myself because I couldn’t recognize people or recognize whether the terrain was smooth and easy for walking.

Obviously, this old lens needed to be replaced with a new one - one that was clear, not cloudy. My vision is crystal clear now in one eye and healing towards that way in the other eye. I can recognize people and places, and I feel more confident in driving in traffic. This has given me a new outlook on life and new possibilities.

This new lens replaced the old lens just as the new creature in Christ can replace the old creature in man.

• 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

God is showing how we can become a new creation/creature through Christ when we commit our life to Him; when we humble ourselves before Him; when we acknowledge our brokenness to Him. In his book, The Joshua Code, O. S. Hawkins shows us Jesus’ teaching that states Blessed are the poor in spirit... they that mourn, and the meek (Matthew 5:3-5). Why are they blessed? Because they realize they are poverty-stricken spiritually without Christ. That is no way to live!

Think of the “birth” of a butterfly. It goes from an egg to larva (caterpillar) to pupa (transformation stage) and to adult butterfly. When the caterpillar begins its changing process, it’s old body parts are changing to become the beautiful butterfly which will emerge. Spiritually this is the “old man” passing away and a new creature in Christ emerging.

With the new lens, we see things more clearly because we see through Christ; we put on the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5 ). We begin to see and understand that God created us to live and not die. The mind of Christ helps us to understand that he gave us the Holy Spirit to dwell inside of us forever, and he gave us the power to lay hands on the sick and to heal. The enemy has been defeated, but we have to take on the mind of Christ to fully understand. These are some of the truths that will show us the way through the trials of our day-to-day walk in order to serve God and accomplish His will for our lives.

Take some time to look into your soul and mind and determine if what you are seeing is clear or fuzzy. Do you see murky waters or do you see clear to the bottom of the sea? Are you struggling to get a clear view of your present and your future or do you have clear vision of the God who dwells inside of you 24/7 and will provide for you? It’s time for you to make a decision - should you replace that lens for newer and better or stay in the same fuzzy situation?

I pray that you choose to replace that lens!

Thanks for stopping by,

Rachel