I don’t recall there ever being as much anticipation and excitement for a new year as there was surrounding 2020: “20/20! It’s the year of perfect vision!” Now, nine months in, “perfect” is far from the list of words most would choose to describe it.
Maybe it’s all in how you see it.
I’m quite dependent on my glasses to see. Some people are nearsighted (only able to see things up close) and others are farsighted (only able to see things far away). Lucky me, I’m a bit of both. So, when I say “quite dependent,” I mean in every possible way – not just to read, or drive, or at night. Without them, I can’t even see my reflection in the mirror. (All of which makes paying the extra dollars for ultra-ultra-thin lenses––so my glasses don’t look like two magnifying glasses strapped to my face––totally worth it!)
A lot like my glasses, the Holy Spirit helps me apply God’s truth from the Bible to my life so I can see more clearly. Without His help, my interpretation of things is often a bit blurry and out of focus. Just like being physically near-sighted, there are times when my spirit can’t concentrate on anything other than what’s right in front of me; when this happens, I’m not able to see the bigger picture God is painting. Then there are times when my spirit feels far-sighted; in these moments I become so focused on what’s further down the road – good or bad – I miss experiencing the beauty He has planned for me in the present.
Proverb 4:25 states, “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.” Click To TweetThrough this verse, the Holy Spirit helps me readjust my vision to see what is important. He reminds me of the infinite plan – the bigger picture – as well as all the finite details He’s orchestrating in every moment revealing His glory. This verse gives me reason to decide on what I want to see: I can continue looking at the things that bring me worry, anxiety, depression, and hopelessness, or I can turn my gaze to the One that brings hope and peace.
I read the Bible because I need God to reassure me of Who He is. Click To TweetWhen I concentrate on Him – when I read about His love, His goodness, His sovereignty, His faithfulness, and His 
justice – everything that once seemed chaotic and out of order begins falling into place. I guess, in a way, help from the Holy Spirit and the Bible is like putting on “lenses of eternity” – helping me to see things more clearly from a heavenly perspective.
So maybe this is the year for perfect vision after all. Maybe this year – this wild, messy, upside down, Jumanji-like year – is an opportunity to decide what lenses to look through. I wonder, if in the midst of upset, heartbreak, turmoil, uncertainty, and death, God is opening our eyes to see awakenings of peace, wholeness, clarity, certainty, and life… in Jesus. Click To Tweet
Perhaps, in the stripping away of what was convenient and normal, God inserted an invitation of appreciation for that which is difficult and extraordinary. Maybe He’s given us a choice to see beauty up close and faraway all at the same time. And while the view from where we stand may not be perfect it does give reason to look for His perfect plan. It gives reason for us to look for Jesus.
Some thoughts to ponder:
What lenses have you been using to see 2020?
How has this perspective made you more Christlike? What might God be using in 2020 to help you see with greater clarity?
The next time you find yourself looking at your struggles with lenses that bring about worry, anxiety, and fear, try “changing your glasses” for His. Reflect on His truth, and rest your eyes on the One Who sees it all.
