Seeing

One of the most wonderful things about this existence is the complex beauty displayed in such a wide variety of things: flowers, oceans, rainstorms, rainbows, horses, babies, bunnies, mountains, seahorses, snowflakes, sunrises…etc. You can spend all day just happily thinking of the things you’ve seen that captured your attention and touched your heart as “beautiful”. Yet, if I also had to consider what I believe to be one of the most handicapping, misleading things about this existence is also related to what we see and how we perceive what we see.

If you’re like me, this will be familiar - Ever worn a shirt (or blouse) that you only “kinda” liked, and to your surprise, you got rave reviews and because of that, you started wearing it more? It was the same shirt you kinda like the day before, but now it’s one of your favorites. It actually does seem to look better. Your perception has been influenced…persuaded even. As Christians, we often say this “Try to see them how God sees them.” How is this done? When it comes to others, we simply try to turn off whatever rubs us about their personality or situation, and even though it's a good thing to show grace, is that all that goes into really seeing them how God sees them? When it comes to ourselves and we operate under the perception of “How God sees us” If we’re not careful, we use the ‘High and lifted up’ view as a son or daughter of the Most High, especially regarded, above pettiness and to be respected above all. I believe that those things will be realized in Glory, but is that a right perception, appropriate for now...as servants? Worth a discussion, I’m sure.

Here’s The Word:

Proverbs 23:7 - For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:

The way we see and perceive is very important because it’s a foundational thing. As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. This verse is speaking directly to the concept of how our fundamental perception is a basis for our actions. It therefore stands to reason that if our perception is wrong, our actions will reflect it. I believe this is why the Bible tells us Guard diligently your heart, for out of it flows the issues of life. It’s like saying that your heart is the CPU and you have to be very careful and intentional about how it gets programmed. If programmed by the wrong influences, it may get a right answer occasionally, but you can never fully trust the results.

Here’s The Word:

Jeremiah 10:23 - O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.

Most of us, when we come to Christ, we’re taught a brief history about this heart-perception thing. We learn about how, before Christ, our sinful desires and selfish wants were the main programmers for our hearts. Then, it seems that we learn at conversion, God wipes our programming and starts re-programming us. At least that’s the perception I got in my early years, and when I think of it, I’m not sure we actually present a good description of what really does happen at conversion in regards to heart perception. Fact is, even though we love that the light of Christ is shed abroad in our hearts, and we look forward to this new programming, I’m not sure that enough consideration is given to identifying the old perceptions, understanding how they can still affect our vision, and how to bring them into submission to be healed by Christ.
Because of this, what then tends to happen is that we spend a life time being double-minded; wrestling with a multi-headed, multi-heart monstrosity that’s easier to cover up and hide, rather than expose it and draw stares at the possibility that our conversion may be questionable.

Here's The Word:

John 20:29(b)blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed

God knows how susceptible we are to the influence and impact of what and how we see. And even with the precautions we should exercise, sight is still a wonderfully, glorious gift. We just need to be wise about our perceptions and how subtly they can be motivations to regrettable actions.

In prayerful self-introspection, consider what has influenced your perceptions thus far.
Investigate them and see if they’ve been laid bare and brought before God to be healed and transformed. I wouldn’t imagine this to an easy thing in any way whatsoever. We’re not likely to begin questioning things that we believe worked in our favor for so long. We may even consider many of those old perceptions to be blessings. Why not validate those perceptions against God’s Word, His character and His clarity? It’s a good work, and obviously, not for the faint of heart.
Don’t just read your Bible, seek to perceive the truth of Who God is within His Word. Seek to have Him become the foundation of your perception.


In Him,
Cros