“What we see depends mainly on what we look for.” – John Lubbock

This week I have been struggling with my perspective.  I am dealing with a set of circumstances that are stirring up emotions I thought I had buried a few years ago.  Lately, it has been overwhelming – consuming my thoughts and making it difficult to simply move on, get over it, and let go of all the hurt, misunderstandings, and loss that accompany the situation.

I spoke to family about it – explaining what had happened and how I’ve been feeling.  As they looked at my situation, the same one I have been mulling over and over again in my own mind, they saw an entirely different side to it all.  Their perspective was exactly the opposite of my own.  they challenged me to see it all in a new light – to rethink how I was looking at it all.

This challenge has led to more quiet time, listening in a deeper way during prayer, and researching the Scriptures – seeing what they say about insight and perspective.

I want to share what I found:

“Your eye is a lamp for your body.  A pure eye lets sunshine into your soul.  But an evil eye shuts out light and plunges you into darkness.  If the light you think you have is really darkness, how deep that darkness will be!” – Jesus speaking in Matthew 6: 22-23 NLT

The definition of insight is apprehending the true nature of a thing – a penetrating mental vision or discernment of underlying truth.  I was struck by the phrases “true nature” and “underlying truth” in this definition.  Insight is all about truth – it’s the pure eye that Jesus is referring to that lets sunshine into your soul.

But it’s apparent my perspective is flawed – far from pure.  It’s certainly not evil, as one might think or define evil, but defective and imperfect to say the least.  We are human, so needless to say; our perspective isn’t always correct, true or pure.

The Liberty Commentary says, “The evil eye is not necessarily something mysterious or devilish, but rather a deceptive vision which causes the viewer to mistake the identity of an object.  The mistake in this context is the darkening of the mind.”

Jesus says, “An evil eye shuts out light and plunges you into darkness.”  In other words, a deceptive, mistaken vision or perspective can plunge our lives into gloom and despair. 

My flawed perspective on the circumstances I was facing was doing just that – making life confusing, bleak and obscure.

How many of us think our perspective, our insight on a matter is truthful, on-target, and accurate, when in fact the exact opposite is really the case? 

Jesus says, “If the light you think you have is really darkness, how deep that darkness will be!”  Each of us can easily go through life thinking we have perfect insight on what we face, our circumstances, and every situation we encounter.  We may think our perspective is truthful and our insight impeccable, but in reality; we are living in darkness – in a deceptive state of mind.

When I think about this, embracing a perspective that I think is light when in fact it may be really off-target and incorrect, I wonder how I can ever trust my own insight? How can I ever possess the “pure eye” that Jesus is referring to – the one that lets sunshine into your soul?

Think about this: We don’t have an “eye”, we have “eyes”.  But in the Scripture, it talks about the “eye” being a lamp to the body – a pure “eye” and an evil “eye”.

In the Matthew Henry Commentary, it states, “If we aim purely and only at the glory of God, seek his honor and favor, and direct all entirely to Him, then the “eye” is single, the whole body will be full of light, all the actions will be regular and gracious, pleasing to God and comfortable with ourselves.”

When Jesus talks about the “eye”, He is referring to a singular, fixed vision – one that is devoted to God and His ways.  God is truth, He is pure, and His insight and perspective is impeccable!

If I want to let sunshine into my soul, then I need to stop relying on my own perspective and analysis on a matter and diligently seek out what God has to say about it.  There I will find truth. It is there I will find peace and it is there I will find grace and understanding.

Now when I look at my dilemma, I choose to see it as God sees it.  I choose to act and respond in a way that matches God’s values and principles within it.  I fight off and resist seeing it strictly from my own viewpoint or how my emotions lead me to respond.  My “eyes” are no longer clouded – my “eye” is on Him 🙂

Whatever you’re currently facing in your own life right now, I pray you look at it with a pure eye – letting God’s light and truth become the sunshine for your soul!

God bless 🙂