We tend to forget just how important our sight is. How much we depend upon it. It impacts the way we interpret the world around us. Sight is the filter for which I determine interactions and communication, but so often it is also the vehicle for which I become aware of need.
I see the child with holes in their shoes, or soles falling apart. I see the same grimy dirt upon their arms and faces that has been there for days. I see the same tattered often ill-fitted garments worn day after day. It is my sight that compels me to do something.
My sight impacts my heart on a local scale, but it goes beyond that.
When I see pictures or video footage of people suffering from the effects of some natural disaster, I am moved. When I see clips of those who have been involved in some sort of violent act/crime, I am moved.
My heart is called to action, so often by what I see. Friend, if we are being honest, sometimes it is easier to see all the dysfunction and needs – the brokenness of our world – than it is to see what is still right and good, is it not?
Our sight impacts our hearts. It calls us to action. But we are not called to live or walk by what we see. While sight can motivate us to action, it can also overwhelm us into submission. We withdraw from doing anything because whatever we could offer seems so small in comparison to the problems. We see ourselves as insignificant. We see our resources as being too limited.
God desires for us to walk by faith, not by sight. Not faith in ourselves, per se, but faith in the One who has been invited to take up residence within us. We are not called to act or respond without having our Father’s power and resources available to us.
I read a challenge out of my friend, Hope Lyda’s book “Life As A Prayer” I want to leave you with. “What do you want to change about your world? When your heart breaks because there’s so much pain and suffering, have you forgotten that you are here to make a difference?”
You and are are here to make a difference. What is it that your eyes see? Remember, you are more than equipped to combat the need with faith in the One who gave you sight.
Blessings!