What do You See?

Perception relates to how we regard, interpret or understand the things around us. This is because two people can look at the same image for example, and see different things. What this means is that perception is subjective to the individual. Each person’s perception is shaped by their experiences, beliefs, values and personality. Our personal choices can also affect what we see in the world around us and what we see in other people. This is why it is important to see the world through the eyes of faith. This requires us to look beyond our physical senses.

Let us look at a story in the New Testament, where Jesus laid his hands on a blind man at Bethsaida. “Taking the blind man by the hand, He led him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, “Do you see anything”” (Mark 8:23)? The blind man’s response was that he could see people, but that they all looked like trees. Jesus touched the man again and this time around, he saw everything clearly. I wonder why this man’s healing seemed like a two staged approach? In other scriptures, Jesus touched people and they were healed instantaneously.

The lepers were healed as they went on their way to show themselves to the Priests (Luke 17:14). Either way, in the previous passage, it was not enough for the man to see people walking like trees. Jesus was committed to restoring his sight completely. Like the blind man, many people see a partial picture of what exists and what is possible. “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:12). What Paul was saying in the verse is that concerning the things of God, we only see a glimpse of what is to come. Our sight is often limited by our spiritual capacity and spiritual growth increases the level of our vision and insight. Here on earth, we see and know a partial picture of what will be revealed in eternity.

I pray that God will touch our eyes so that we will see clearly, the things which are necessary for our success and for us to have spiritual insight. Our earthly senses are limited to what is in our sphere of influence. God can reveal deep and hidden things to us if our eyes are trained to see the things of the spirit. We have to also pray against spiritual blindness, so that the god of this world will not blind our eyes to the things of God. We also have to guard our eyes as they are a gateway to our souls. We have to protect our eye sight from things that will not edify us or bring glory to God.

A.P.-Y.