there's a fairly well-played song on Christian radio these days that has the chorus:
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
Ones that are far beyond my reach.
Give me your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see
Yeah
Yeah
yeah
yeah
Now it's kind of a pop-ish song, but that's not the point. I've though a lot about this idea of really trying to "put on" Christ-like vision apart from this song. Do I read the Bible more? Do I pray more? Do I serve others more? Do I deny the comforts of this American lifestyle and life with poor or neglected people? I think the lyrics reinforce really well the idea of wanting to see like Jesus in the world we live in.
I simply don't see the world as Jesus does. But I really want to!
Seeing one way or another way, how you interpret the world, makes a big difference in the way your motivations and subsequent behavior takes shape. Just put on those 3-D glasses or the goggles that they use to show what a drunk person sees, and you get this idea very quickly.
To me though, it's deeper than just surface level vision. My mind so often thinks about what is "efficient" or "effective" or "optimal." This comes from a wordly perspective, and I realize, it often doesn't coincide with the way of the King and His vision for His Kingdom on earth.
Here's a perfect example:
I know a very faithful missionary family in Argentina. The father is very real, genuine, and is one of the most faithful servants I have ever met. They minister intentionally to a specific group of people in Buenos Aires, one of the most difficult people groups to share Christ with, in my opinion. I'm not going to write which people group that is, for reasons regarding their safety and confidentiality.
My point is, the family is great, and they are led by an incredibly faithful man. I know this. In my mind and my heart, I know this and believe this fully.
Yet, I sometimes question, in my mind, their ministry. I have such thoughts as "well, jeez, they get paid a normal year's salary through the contributions of so many churches" "...they have some "successes" to show for their work, but really not that many." "They are semi-accountable to their donors, but not wholly and fully transparent." "They could be doing anything really, living off the good graces and good intentions of others." (again, as I stated before, they are a really genuine and no funny business is going on). "Wouldn't their time and effort be best spent in other areas with other people groups, where more chances for "success" in sharing Christ could take place?"
So let me say, I hate these thoughts that I have. But I have them. I think I'm nifty and crafty that I can see inefficiencies and the way things can be improved...my mind often thinks about such things.
Never mind that I overlook their sacrifice of being in a foreign country, away from many comforts of friends and family, to intentionally share the Gospel with a group of people who are often so quick to reject their message.
In all reality, this just really reveals the depth of my selfishness, and what I'm talking about in this post...that I really don't see like Jesus sees the world.
Peter tells us the underlying sentiment of God's heart: "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9 NIV)
Isn't it fitting that Peter is the one who writes this verse, even after his staunch promise to never deny Jesus, and then outright denying Him 3 times? Peter lived out fully this sentiment of God's heart.
Romans 3:23 speaks truth in reminding us that we're all broken. Sin is the culprit of our brokenness, and no matter who we are in the world, we can't escape this fact. "...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (NASB)
Jesus has an amazing ability to see through our self-protections, piled up walls, defense mechanisms to deal with the world, to see the heart of our brokenness. He sees the problem crystal clearly AND the solution. I believe He desperately wants broken hearts to return to Him as soon as possible.
He is the perfect solution, and sees perfectly how events and His followers are going to work under His name to help heal those broken hearts and turn them back to Him, while delighting in the glory of this process.
I can't even give an answer of what Jesus' version of a solution really looks like, since I so frequently think of solving problems in worldly terms...and again, I don't see like Him.
But I think it's really great that He sees in a unique way, that's different from the worldly vision which I so frequently see things...and I want more of that eyesight. His eyesight.
Lord Jesus, please help me to see more like You...
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