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Seeing What’s Upside Down As Right-Side Up

Our daughter got new glasses a couple of weeks ago and she called to talk about the struggle. Later, I was talking to Momma and we were reminiscing about our own experiences with new glasses. We went from sharing the struggles to marveling over how our vision adjusts.

That’s when Momma told me about some glasses she was required to wear during the psychology portion of her studies at Georgia Baptist College of Nursing. Those glasses caused the wearer to see everything upside down. That’s right! The glasses inverted and reversed everything. But…

After wearing them for a period of time, the wearer’s eyes would readjust and everything would appear right-side up while the glasses were worn. Then…

Everything was upside down when the wearer wasn’t wearing the glasses.

This brings me to today’s Scripture.

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength. Ephesians 1:18-19 (CSB)

Holy Spirit is like every Jesus-follower’s God given “eye doctor.” That’s right! His “job” is to help us see God’s perspective on everything.

The thing is, those new perspectives are like looking through the lenses of a new pair of glasses. They create struggle. Our mind is confused and disoriented by the differences of the new perspective. It plays with our proprioception, and proprioception is necessary for balance.

Since my conversation with Momma about those inverted glasses, I’ve begun if the areas of my life where I’m struggling are because I’m refusing to wear my Holy Spirit glasses in portion of my life.

You see, our vision was forever changed when we were born again (John 3:1-17). Which means, my life (and yours) are filled with ongoing struggle if we refuse to wear our Holy Spirit glasses. Switching between the lenses of this world, the lenses of our old understanding, and the lenses of God’s word keeps us disoriented and miserable. Consistently and intentionally looking at every aspect of our lives through the lenses of God’s perspective gives us positional balance and freedom, and helps our minds function with both clarity and stability. We not only know what is right and appropriate, but we don't hesitate to act on it. Why? I think it’s because we lose the tentative movement of instability when we quit trying to switch perspectives and stick to seeing everything at all times through the lens of Holy Spirit glasses.

LORD, thank You for how wonderfully You have put us together. Are bodies are made up of so many intricate parts and yet they are so totally interconnected. We want to function as we were designed to function. Not just physically, but spiritually too. We don’t want to settle for heaven and miss everything wonderful You have for us while we are here. Help us LORD, to not only desire to see from Your perspective, but do the hard work of wearing Your glasses long enough to overcome the disoriented feeling of living in the world but seeing everything from Your perspective. Oh! And one more thing. Help us to be thankful for the struggle. Help us to see consider it as joy, and indicator of Your work and Your presence in our lives. Amen.

I will praise you
because I have been remarkably and wondrously made.
Your works are wondrous,
and I know this very well. Psalm 139:14 (CSB)

Here are a couple of links for any of you who are curious at heart…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_M._Stratton

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proprioception

If you're not sure you're a Jesus-follower, you can use the link below to find out how to take that first step to being sure. I'm praying for you, Friend! If you're walking the fence line between knowing about Jesus and knowing Him, you are in a precarious position that is difficult to live. I would love to see you jump down on the side of Jesus and enjoy the freedom of following Him. Mobile - Peace With God

Scripture quotations marked CSB are been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible•, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

  

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