Our Bible verse for today: “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light within you is darkness, how deep is that darkness!” Matthew 6:22-23
Our thought for today: “Learn to see through eyes of love.”
In Matthew 6:22-23 Jesus was teaching a lesson about perception – about how we choose to see people and events. My perception of things goes a long way towards determining my experience in life. How I see things determines what I believe to be true. It also determines how I think and speak, and how I act toward others. If my perception is clear – if I see things through the eyes of Christ, my experience in life will be enlightened. But if my perception is not clear, if I choose to see the world and those around me through the distorted lens of worldly values, then my experience in life will be darkened rather than enlightened.
With respect to our theme of living a life that is grounded in the love of God, if I learn to immerse myself in the love of God – understand it, receive it, embrace it, and share it – my life will be defined by that love and that will be my experience. It all depends on how I chose to see people and events – through a Christ-like perspective, or through a worldly perspective. Jesus sees through eyes of love, and therefore as a Christian, a Christ-follower, one called to be like Him, I must strive to see through eyes of love as well.
Perhaps the best way to train ourselves to do this is to consider Jesus’ words found in Matthew 25:31-46. In that passage He taught a lesson about serving and blessing others, especially those in great need. In verse 40 He explained, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
The application for us is that often it’s easier to love Jesus than it is to love people. It’s easier to want to do things for Jesus than for people. So Jesus has designated other people to be His surrogates and to receive our acts of ministry to Him, on His behalf. In other words, whatever it is you would like to do for Jesus as a demonstration of your love for Him, do instead for other people, and He will receive it as having been done directly for Him. Intentionally see other people as your opportunity to demonstrate your love for Jesus. That will help you to begin seeing people through eyes of love. If you can’t love them for who they are, then love them because Jesus loves them. And if you have difficulty blessing them for who they are, bless them as a way of blessing Jesus. See that person as an opportunity to show your love for Jesus.
Your perception of people and events matters. The lens through which you view the world will determine everything else about you. I encourage you to learn to see through eyes of love.
Oak Hill Baptist Church