I had my annual eye exam a couple of weeks ago and went today to pick out new frames for my new lenses. I hadn't thought that my vision had changed, but the exam showed that it had. I didn't even realize that my sight could be clearer and sharper until the "click-click, how's that? Better or worse?" Ah, yes, better!
I recall years ago when I first got glasses back in high school. I didn't really want to wear glasses, but I didn't know what I was missing, either. When I got them, I was very glad my parents had overruled in that decision.
Sometimes we don't see clearly, either by physical sight or by spiritual sight. The physical sight is quicker to bring into focus than spiritual sight, though. To improve my physical sight, all I had to do was to take myself to the optometrist, sit through the exam, present my debit card, and he took it from there. I get my new glasses, my new sight, in about a week. Looking forward to it!
Spiritual sight is made clearer, though, through the lens of scripture, and that takes getting into the Word and getting the Word into me. It's a growing process. People without the Holy Spirit living in them don't understand scripture, so they don't have clear spiritual sight. Sad, but they don't even realize they aren't seeing life clearly. That's why they don't really understand themselves, others, God (and how he sees us), Satan, or life in general. And that's why they think Christians have it all wrong. Not to sound irreverent, I hope, but seeing spiritually is one of the perks of placing faith in Jesus Christ. He opens our spiritual eyes to reality.
Picking out my frames today reminded me of a book I have entitled Seeing With New Eyes: Counseling the Human Condition Through the Lens of Scripture by David Powlison. I pulled it out to read again and remind myself of the importance of viewing people and life through the lens of scripture.
A brief excerpt from the Introduction:
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| (Click book for more details) |
"Seeing with New Eyes presents a collection of essays written over a period of almost twenty years. Most of them originally appeared in the Journal of Biblical Counseling between 1985 and 2003. You will find a number of interlocking themes appearing again and again. Everywhere evident is God’s gracious self-revelation in Jesus Christ and Scripture. The real needs and problems of real people—our sins and miseries, our need for the Father of mercies—are always in view. Our current social and cultural context—the modern psychologies and psychotherapies, these alternative theologies and alternative cures of soul—are continually engaged."
~ David Powlison, M.Div., Ph.D
David Powlison is a biblical counselor who worked in psychiatric hospitals before coming to faith in Christ. He teaches at CCEF and edits the Journal of Biblical Counseling.
You can read the Introduction and Chapter One here.
You can read other articles by David Powlison here.
