I felt like the blind man whom Jesus spit on his eyes and then asked him if he could see. He replied, “I see men, for I am seeing them like trees, walking about” (Mark 8:24). Jesus then laid His hands on his eyes a second time and he began to see everything clearly. The reason I felt like that is because I lost by glasses on the return trip from Labor Day Family Camp. I did a stupid thing. Don’t do this. It was a warm afternoon as we were preparing to leave camp so I put my glasses on top of the car while I took off my sweatshirt. You guessed it! I got back in the car and we took off completely forgetting that my glasses were on the roof of the car. We didn’t get too far before I remembered that I wasn’t wearing them. We drove back to camp and searched intently along the road for over an hour to no avail. They were gone! Perhaps somebody at camp will discover them but, in the meantime, I have an eye exam scheduled and am purchasing a new pair. I found out that without my bifocal glasses I can’t see clearly. Everything is blurry kind of like seeing men who look like trees.

How is your vision? Oh, it’s fine, Irv. Okay, but I’m not talking only about your physical vision but your spiritual vision. Are you seeing spiritual things clearly? What does that mean? Here are three thoughts on what clear spiritual vision looks like:

1. Clear spiritual vision discerns good from evil. Hebrews 5:14 says, “But sold food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.” Clear spiritual vision is marked by clear discernment of good and evil. That comes through practicing the Word of God in our daily lives. No one has to tell the one with clear spiritual vision that a person, practice or belief is wrong or unbiblical. He or she sees it clearly and rejects it.
2. Clear spiritual vision takes stock of one’s personal relationship with the Lord to see his spiritual condition clearly. 2 Corinthians 13:5 urges Christians to “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith, examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?” Clear seeing Christians ask themselves, “Am I saved and how do I know it? When did I ask Jesus to save me? Is my life a living testimony of Jesus to the unsaved world? Am I currently in a right relationship with God or is sin blocking my relationship with Him?
3. Clear spiritual vision sees the lost world through the eyes of Jesus. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” The world is spiritually lost and going to hell yet God loves them and does not desire that any should perish but that all would come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). His desire is that we should have that same love for the lost as He does. They are lost, hell-bound sinners just like we were! They desperately need a Savior. They need Jesus Christ. We are to love them to the Lord.

I can’t wait to get my glasses back so I can see clearly again. How about you? Does the Lord need to help you refocus your vision so you can spiritually see clearly?

Irv