7 minute read

By Bethany Rees

How's your eyesight? Is it good? 

Me? Oh, I’m quasi-blind. Yes literally (I wear a strong prescription of glasses), but also figuratively. I’ve been wearing the wrong spiritual lenses for a while now. 

What do I mean by spiritual lenses? Let me explain my revelation that came just in time for Thanksgiving. 

I was going through my daughter's school folder the other day, and noticed a social studies project she did where she had to analyze South America through four different lenses (called PEGS): political, economic, geographical, and social. She wrote down various facts and drawings to describe the continent using these different lenses. I was pretty impressed that my sixth grader was learning that there are multiple ways of analyzing or looking at something. 

Seeing her grow in her analytical and point of view skills made me ask myself:

“what lenses am I using to look at things, people, and circumstances in my life?” 

What lenses are even possible to look through? 

Based on popular songs in various genres you have: Morgan Wallen’s Whiskey Glasses, Alanis Morissette’s Lens (of Love), Corey Hart’s Sunglasses at Night, John Conlee’s Rose Colored Glasses, and I’m sure a ton more. 

At one point in my life, I’ve probably used all of those lenses to try to “see” my problem more clearly, or let’s be real...ignore my problems completely. 

But as I’ve learned and continue to learn from Matthew 7:1-5, I have a plank/log in my eye so I obviously can’t see clearly. Yep, I’ve been spiritually blinded, and not just from my own log either...but also from the lenses I'm choosing to look at my life through. 

And that stinks because I want to see my life with clear vision. 

So what lenses am I currently wearing, and what new prescription do I need for clarity? 

I, probably like most people, tend to look at life through the lenses of selfishness:

How does this thing, person, or circumstance affect me? 

The lenses of selfishness show me things like: 

• my own desires (over others')
• what I don’t have (covetous eyes - my desire for stuff and qualities that belong to other people) 
• what I deserve (because you know I deserve to "have it all")
• my own self importance (I'm just more special than you)
• blame towards others (newsflash: it's always your fault)
• personal offenses towards others (since you don't agree with me, I'm canceling you)
• self pity (nobody knows how hard I've had it)

My looking through the lenses of selfishness makes everything look a lot different than it really is. It's kind of like looking through a kaleidoscope where everything is completely distorted. 

How can I describe selfish lenses so well? It’s been my go to pair of glasses.

Most of my life I’ve lived as a self-righteous and judgy “do gooder” whose main objectives were to 1) to insulate myself from other people’s messes and 2) work the “perfect plan” checklists so I don’t make my own messes.  And as you’ve read in past blog posts like “My Remodel,” nothing exposed my dark selfish lenses more than the last three years of my life where all I could see was my own misery.

I was completely consumed with how I wasn’t living the comfortable life I wanted and deserved. I’ve now learned that wearing the darkened glasses of selfishness often hides how spiritually sick I really am. Oh Lord, I’m so embarrassed of my selfish heart.

Through my broken road and time spent with God, my sickness of selfishness has been exposed. But God...remember? Christ really is the great physician: 

“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” ~Mark 2:17

As Jennie Allen says in her book, Get out of Your head, 

“victimhood is yet another enemy of our minds that keeps us fixated on something other than the God of the universe, believing the lie that we are at the mercy of circumstances. But we have a choice… 

God made sure to include a clear call to thankfulness in Scripture because He knows that only when we’re planted in the soil of gratitude will we learn and grow and thrive…

In Jesus, we can change where we fight from without changing what we fight for.”

I have now been given a new prescription for better lenses in which I can look at life.

I now have the lens of gratitude (thankfulness). 

With my new lenses of gratitude, it’s like the lights have been turned on and the shadows of darkness have shrunk. Everything looks a little brighter and more clear to me now. I’m not saying my path is any easier or that there are any less obstacles along my way, but with the brighter light I’m able to see more blessings and how to get around those obstacles. I no longer choose to spend time fighting the monsters of my mind because their power of influence is dissipating. 

Now that I truly know what I have been saved from (my spiritual selfishness), I can experience what I’m saved to (true gratitude in my salvation and joy for where I’m currently at in life). 

I can now see where that status of my mind, heart, and body were, and how far God has brought me in repentance and healing. Because of the desolate and scorched path I have been walking on for several years (by my own choosing), I am now extra sensitive to noticing all the joyous blessings on my new well lit path. 

Through the lenses of gratitude I’m truly seeing what a blessing my family is. Even little things I used to think were annoyances that slowed me down (like my kids’ messes) now anchor me in being present in the moment (they are children and children make messes, so there’s no need to yell about it; just have a conversation with them about stewardship and accountability). 

I left a good paying job, but I have seen the amazing provisions of God not only in our finances, but in my time with family. Our time cooking home meals together as a family (cause we aren’t eating out much anymore) has been more valuable than any paycheck. My son, besides being our dinner time DJ, is our meat and pastry chef connoisseur, and my daughter is the most gracious hostess and server.  Sure we miss eating out, but I wouldn’t trade these moments with my children in the kitchen for anything. 

I see the blessings of my friends more clearly. Y’all I have some of the most amazing strong Christian women in my life.  These are women who aren’t afraid to speak the truth, even when I don’t want to hear it. But they would also pick up a sword and go to battle for me if the occasion called for it. These women held my arms up when I couldn’t any more (See Exodus 17:11-13 to read about others holding up Moses’ arms). Sidebar: Make sure you have a strong group of believers around you!

So what lenses are you looking at life through? 

Do you need a new prescription like I did? 

As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, I pray that each of you will lay down whatever glasses you are currently looking at your life through, and pick up the lenses of gratitude handcrafted by our good and perfect God. 

Every day, work to stop your busy and anxious mind, and look for those blessings in your life and then thank God for His goodness. 

• God, thank you for my salvation, for I know what I have been saved from and what I am saved to. 

• God, thank you for my family and friends that surround me. As imperfect as we all are, our relationships are a gift,so let me work to nurture them. 

• God, thank you for the roof over my head, the food in my fridge, and electricity to run our home. 

• God, thank you for the time you have given me on this earth, and help me to not squander it. Let me be present in the moment, and to see your blessings around me.

• God, thank you for the scars I have been given, for they are a reminder that I have survived very hard circumstances. 

• God, thank you for your creation and help me to stop and notice it more. 

• God, thank you for my pet who loves me always and softens my heart. 

Know Better. Do Better. Live Better. Have Gratitude.

Rocks before Sand!

Scripture: 

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 

~1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Theme Song: 

Gratitude by Brandon Lake

References Used:

• Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
• Allen. Jennie. Get Out of Your Head: Stopping the Spiral of Toxic Thoughts. Waterbrook. 2021.