What lens are you looking through?

Every evening I remove my contact lenses before going to bed. The other night when I removed them, I reflected on all that had happened in the past 30 days, looking through those lenses: traveling to visit friends, one of whom was on hospice care and I knew this would be the last time seeing him this side of heaven, a lovely vacation to Hilton Head Island and the surrounding area, standing at the edge of the ocean and soaking in the sun, many mornings of sitting with the Lord reading His Word, many dinners and meals shared with family and friends, Christmas with our family and our six beautiful grandchildren, our grandson’s second birthday, and the start to a New Year that I pray brings new beginnings!

As I looked at the lens balancing on the tip of my finger, the Lord asked me in my spirit: “What lens are you looking through when you look around at the world? What is your spiritual lens seeing?” I stood there and my spirit stirred within me, pondering His questions.

These past two years have been difficult. I can easily get sucked into the challenges, the many mandates, the disagreements going on in our world, the ugliness of humanity. My lenses can become clouded and I do not look at the world through the eyes of Christ. I have had to guard my heart and mind. However, I’m human and fail at times. Even with intentionally connecting to God each morning in my daily devotions and Scripture readings, the Christian books I choose to read, the Christian music I choose to listen to, I can succumb to thinking things will never get better and surely the enemy is winning.

By God prompting me with those questions, I believe He is challenging me to keep my perspective and my lenses clear. Just like He gave me a word to “Proclaim!”, the Lord is giving me a strong hope in Him for 2022. Now each day when I put on my contact lenses, I ask the Lord to give me His lenses – His view of the world. I ask Him to come into my spirit to raise me up and to see with a “higher view” what is going on around me. Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8 NKJV)

Join in me praying: Lord, purify my heart so I might see You. When I see You, I see the world through a different lens. Help me to rise above the challenges around me. Keep my hope alive through Jesus Christ. He is the One Who rules our world. I bow my heart before You, Jesus. Keep my eyes, my lenses, focused on You. Help me to love God and love others like You. Amen.