Correcting Your Vision

Bruce Kendall Barnard

“In the same way I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence

of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

(Luke 15:10)

Sometimes the strangest things strike me, well, strangely. For example, on a recent visit to the eye doctor, I couldn't help but think about all that expensive equipment designed to do one thing—tell the doctor just how poor my eyesight is getting. I was fascinated as she worked levers and gadgets all around, attempting to analyze why my eyesight keeps getting poorer (old age is my best guess), and what she can do about it.

 

Back to that machine—you know the one. The examiner raises and lower little lenses as she asks you, "Better? or Worse?"; "Number one? or Number two?" Which got me thinking about our lives, what we see, how we see it, and how God is working to correct our vision.

We tend to see people one way; God sees them another (read all of Luke 15). We have been conditioned to see people through the lens of the church, and not through the lens of Jesus. Jesus gave himself to the poor, the sick, and to people who were cast out and thrown away. We don't give ourselves away at all (I'm being brutally honest about myself!). It's time we let Jesus hook us up to that eye-thingy machine (with sincere apologies to any optometrists reading this!) and begin to see people the way He sees them.

This week's Friday Evening isn't about reading, it's about DOING. Here's what I want you to do. Set aside an hour this week (some of you will need to actually block that in your Day-Timer or Blackberry!), and go to a shopping mall, or a park, or a fast-food place, or a Starbucks or Panera or Wal-Mart—pick one. Find a place to sit where you can watch people, and then pray this very simple prayer:

"Father, help me to see people the way you see them. Amen."

That's all there is to it. Then sit back, relax, and let God correct your vision. I guarantee you—He will! And if you are willing to share with me your story about how God is changing your vision or the vision of the church where you live and work, write to me at pastorbruce@wvcn.org. I’ll get right back to you.

You have just read “Friday Evening” for July 24, 2009. This week’s contributing writer is Bruce K. Barnard, lead pastor at Warwick Valley Church of the Nazarene, Warwick, New York. Bruce is the son of Dr. Tom Barnard, editor of this publication.