Wide Eyes

How precious is the gift of sight. To be able to look into the face of another of God's creations and see joy and happiness. To be able to see someone smile. To see someone looking into YOUR eyes with love. The ability to see face-to-face is a treasure too often lost in the techno world of smart phones, messaging, and e-mail.

Sight, however, also comes with a down side. We also see tears and frowns and hurting expressions of those we love. Seeing those things can cause our own countenance to change. WE hurt because THEY hurt and we can often see the expressions of that pain on the otherwise beautiful faces of those we meet each day.

"¹⁵Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep." - Romans 12:15

We also can be tempted through our vision, our sight. A beautiful man or woman can be tempting to the opposite sex, by the world's standards. We can sometimes find our eyes venturing places where they shouldn't go.

Why then did God give us eyes if it was not to see the hurting as well as the joyful? God gave us eyes for a reason. To bring home . . . to make more personal . . . the objects of His creation. And to test us.

We hear news stories about the homeless for example. We hear them and for the most part we ignore them. We are comfortable in our own little part of our own little world. Yeah, it's tough they don't have a home. It's sad they're sleeping in their car. What's for dinner?

But then God arranges a face-to-face meeting and the stakes change. Suddenly someone's homeless situation becomes real to us when we find ourselves sitting across the table from someone who doesn't know where they will be sleeping that night . . . where they will find shelter. We can SEE the look in their eyes - a little desperation mixed with some hopelessness - a helpless, unwilling submission to a sad situation. It is a resignation of the spirit . . . in the soul of one of God's images.

So, what are we to do? How can I help? What does JESUS tell us to do?

“²²The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, ²³but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!" - Matthew 6:22-24

As with most things, what is needed most in this world is Jesus. But how is Jesus made known to a hurting world? Go look in a mirror. Stare into the eyes of someone God specifically created to honor Him with service, devotion, obedience, and love.

Jesus is the key in all of this. He is administered on this earth through the love and compassion we show others.

If we get up each morning, look in that mirror and ask, "Who am I going to love today, in the name of Jesus?" I am willing to bet our day with be much better than most. If we quit thinking about ourselves and reach out to someone else in love, suddenly we find OURSELVES feeling better and more encouraged than before. But more important than that, more important than our SELVES feeling better, we will have been obedient to God. And that is the best feeling of all.

“For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.” - 2 Corinthians 4:5

Wide Eyed - Nichole Nordeman

Humble

Humility is a rare commodity in today's world. Instead, our culture tends to encourage self-promotion and self-aggrandizing behavior.

From an early age we are encouraged to get the best grades in school so that we can go to the best schools and get the best jobs. Our resumes are often filled with the most flattering information, often to the point of making us look better and more appealing than we really are. I wonder how a potential employer would react to a truthful resume . . .

"I'm not all that excited about working for your company. I'm here because my overly-protective, 90-year-old mother wants me to move out of the house. Although I sometimes drink too much on weekends and tend to sometimes be abusive towards others, I am a good worker on the days I feel like showing up. To be honest, I have tried to get hired at other places but none of them would give me a shot after hearing about my pedophilia conviction. By the way, is that a picture of your daughter on the wall?."

Yeah. Truth is often something we tend to avoid or even hide.

I was at a funeral this weekend where my brother-in-law delivered the eulogy. He did a wonderful job. He spoke about humility and about what it REALLY takes for us to come to a saving faith in Christ.

He said that we must humble ourselves. He is right.

Do you remember the movie The Ten Commandments? Of course you do. Everybody does. DO you remember the scene when Moses went up on the mountain because he had seen a burning bush? As he approached the bush the voice of God said," Remove your sandals for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." Moses did as he was told.

God then told Moses that he (Moses) was to lead God's people into the promised land. Then Moses, on his knees . . . on his FACE at times . . . asked God, "Who am I that you should send me?" Moses was humble before the Lord and God blessed him.

As we go through this day may we think of others before we think of ourselves. May we think of GOD before we do ANYTHING. May we become least in this world that encourages us to be the best. May we live our lives FOR God by serving others . . . not helping ourselves.

"30 He must increase, but I must decrease.” 31 He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all." - John 3:30-31

"6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen." - 1 Peter 5:6-11

Humble Thyself In The Sight of The Lord