Simple Faith Christian

Luke 6:42 (NKJV)

“Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.”

Have you ever traveled a long distance and the further you drove the more spots from the bugs you run into appear in front of you? How about early spring when everything begins to bud, and every window you see is covered in a green film of pollen? Maybe you take a Jeep out four wheeling and you come back covered in a layer of mud?

No matter how long you have been a driver you find out pretty quickly that your windshield can get messed up and make it hard to see all or part of the road ahead. Maybe you haven’t driven, but even as a passenger you probably have seen something splatter right in front of you. Watching the different size spots appearing can be very distracting.

Some of you may even have a story of the worst time you could not see while driving. Everything from dust, dirt, to snow and even rain. I have had to pull over when the rain was so heavy and milky that I could barely see anything in front of me. Living in the Northeast I have many stories of snow and ice. Some days are so cold that you can only get a portion of your window clean and you can’t wait the 15 minutes for the defroster to begin working. 

One thing I can’t remember is if I was taught that there was a way to clean the window without having to get out of the car. The easy button to spray the window with liquid to clean it. That’s only if you have liquid in it and your wiper blades are good. I’ve had to throw snow on a warmed-up windshield on more than one occasion to use the melted snow.

No matter what example you use, the resulting reduction in vision is both annoying and distracting. The harder you are trying to see takes away from all your other cognitive functions that you may need to drive your vehicle. Plus, it can be too easy to not see the road, another car or a person in your path.

The point is that you need to see where you are going and you want to be able to get to where you are going safely. Sometimes it can be that extra few seconds you take to scrape a little more, to fill the washer reservoir with more liquid, or to use the squeegee while you fill your car with gas.

But our windshield is only one place where we let distraction or obstruction impede what we need to see. We are surrounded by windshields that we don’t realize are there and when that are clouded or dirty we cannot see where we are going or the many of the paths we can take in life.

As a man I do confess that at least while I am driving I do use GSP more, so I don’t have to be stubborn and not ask for directions. But that doesn’t prevent me from not cleaning the windshield. In life I can use my bible as a GSP or pray for direction, but that doesn’t automatically mean that I am free from distraction or have something preventing me from seeing the path I should be travelling on.

The world is filled with many things that vie for our attention. It is our choice what we focus on. Do we allow the distraction that surrounds us to pull our sight from what God wants us to see. The opening scripture gives us one place to begin. Ourselves. It is never easy looking at any weakness we may have, especially admitting we are not seeing clearly.  

Whether it’s a direction or those around us, we have to see more as God does. 1 Samuel 16:7 talks about how we should see others, “But the Lord said to Samuel, do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as a man sees: for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Looking through clear eyes at everything around us can be a new experience. Taking the time to remove any distractions or even the prejudices that may taint our vision. To do this, we can follow Paul’s words in Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

God’s will and His plans for our lives are always perfect. We just have to invite the Lord in and follow where He leads. We all know that this is not as easy as it may sound. Definitely not like following a GPS, maybe more like an ancient map that is torn and smudged.   

The problem can also be that we try to rely on our own sight and not looking where we should be. 2 Corinthians 4:18 give us a different perspective, “While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

The path the Lord has for all of us is with Him in eternity and that takes a faith compass that is in our hearts. It always points directly at God, we just need to stay the course as 1 John 5:21 (NLT) suggests, “Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.” Join me in cleaning our windshields so we can see a clear path to the Lord.

FREE FROM WORRY AND CARE

The dirty glasses on my nose keep blurring what I’m trying to see,
Having to squint so I can keep on reading is just distracting me.

Even if I think to clean them off I have nothing close at hand,
Then I make smears as if I’m looking through blowing sand.

Even when I do clean them off and it doesn’t last for long,
When another print or splatter can make you see things wrong.

Lord, this can be another barrier as I am trying to study your word,.
But using this as an excuse will make me sound absurd.

Dear child, it is very easy to find a reason, it doesn’t have to be this one,
You’re turning which should be a happy time something that isn’t fun.

You can find the answers you’re searching for in the written verse,
By finding a New path forward, putting the negatives in reverse.

Looking through a clean lens is only half the battle to seeing clear,
You must peer through eyes with an open heart to know what I hold dear.

Don’t look at it as a chore but rather a way to prepare,
To find yourself closer to me, Free From Worry and Care.
 

Simple Faith Christian

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