Spiritual Eyes
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (NIV) 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Sometimes life is hard, frustrating and stressful. We all go through trying to overcome hard times. As Christian, we know that we have a hope of a better future if we remain faithful but that promise is not always at the forefront of our minds. I believe the verse above from 2 Corinthians sheds some light on how we can shift our focus in troubling times to the eternal glory that Paul is referring to.
How often do we forget that the things of this world are temporary? For me, it’s probably a daily occurrence. If we aren’t intentional about it, we can get caught up in our daily routine and lose focus on our true purpose. So how can we be intentional? What can we do to refocus our minds in good times and bad? I think part of the answer lies in Paul’s words from verse 18: “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
How can we fix our eyes on something we can’t see? The eyes Paul is referring to are the spiritual eyes we all have. We need to look for God everywhere. We can find Him in His word and we should be seeking Him there daily. When we use our spiritual eyes during our daily routine instead of just our physical eyes, we will “see” more opportunities to serve and share the gospel - all we need to do is look. When our spiritual eyes are open, we will notice God working in our lives and be able to give Him the praise that He deserves.
As we seek to be more fully committed to God, let us remember that the things around us are temporary. Your job, house, car and all your possessions will one day be gone but what will remain is the spiritual realm: God and his Word. Let’s make an effort to spend more of our time, money and energy on the things that will last and less on the things that will perish. Jesus said it best in Matthew 6:21 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”