Glasses

A little boy came into the cafe the other day and he was wearing his glasses on his forehead. A coworker commented, “I don’t think he likes his glasses.” The boy was little, around 4 years old. I don’t want to say he was cross-eyed but you could look at him and tell he has trouble seeing, yet he refused to wear his glasses. My thought was, “how silly is that?” Why doesn’t he want to see clearly? That’s usually my thought when people don’t want to wear their glasses or deny the fact that they need them. I never understood why people were ok with not seeing clearly. You may be able to see well enough but there is so much more out there that you’re missing.

This is how the world is as a whole, especially now. People are refusing to wear glasses. People are content with their blurry way of seeing the world. Maybe it’s because that’s what they are used to. Maybe wearing glasses is uncomfortable.  Even now eyewear has become a fashion accessory but people are more interested in looking good than seeing well. Glasses also clear up perspective. Example, two visually impaired people can look at the same letter on an eye chart and call it two different things. Once they both take a look through a corrective lens they can agree that the letter is, in fact, a P. That’s not something that can be argued or debated. Letters are letters regardless of race, religion, or culture. But we refuse to look through the glasses of the gospel so the arguments continue. Everyone needs glasses but the prescription is not universal. Some of us are near sited, others far sited, both to varying degrees. Wearing the glasses of the gospel reveals truth to everyone. Being “woke” doesn’t mean you still don’t need to wear glasses.

Some of us are wearing glasses that are out of date. Our prescription has changed and we don’t even know it.  One doctor’s appointment isn’t enough. Those routine checkups are so necessary. Frames may look different or out of date but the lenses stay the same. Some of us don’t understand or appreciate the value of glasses and thus don’t take care of them like we should. Either our glasses never get cleaned or they get cleaned with any old rag or rough paper towel. Isn’t it odd how you can wear glasses for hours and never touch your face yet smudges magically appear? Just like smudges and dust from the world around you adhere to your glasses, the dirt and dust of this world sticks to your soul distorting your vision without any help from you. It’s your responsibility to keep your glasses clean.

Like the little boy, some of us are wearing glasses on our foreheads because we think just having them is good enough. Attending churches where we don’t actually believe what’s being preached or refusing to be doers of the Word and live changed lives because we like blurry lines. We’re used to blurry lines. Blurry lines are less offensive. No need to get rid of the sin in your life if your eyes aren’t good enough to see it anyway.

I always use inclusive pronouns in my blogs because I’m including myself in the finger-pointing.  I’m guilty too. There have been times when I refused to see something for what it really was. This happens more often and more recent than I care to blog about. Refusing to see the bump in the road won’t keep you from hitting it, or from busting a tire when you do. Sometimes we don’t want to see situations or people for what they really are because it is ugly, or worse, will require us to take action or responsibility. Sometimes it’s disappointing or disheartening. With the current state of the world, I have to remind myself of the sovereignty of God just to make it through the day!

The little boy’s glasses were within reach; less than 2 inches from his eyes yet he refused to use them. The solution to our sight problem is right there within our grasp also but so many of us refuse to accept Him.  Like the little boy’s glasses, ours are paid for. The boy’s parents likely paid for his glasses because he can’t afford them. Our Heavenly Father has paid for our glasses because we certainly could never afford them. We could never afford the price Jesus paid. I don’t know anything about that little boy aside from his rejection of glasses. I don’t know if he is a good little boy or a terror. Either way, I’m sure his parents didn’t take that into consideration before deciding to purchase him glasses. They bought them because he needed them, not because he deserved them. That’s love. While we were yet sinners, God sent His only son to die on the cross because we need Him, not because we deserve Him. That’s love.

The ultimate eye exam is right here on the horizon. Only those with corrected vision will pass, everyone else will be left behind. This eye doctor never closes, doesn’t require appointments, and makes house calls. Simply believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and watch your vision start to clear.

…if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. – Romans 10:9 [NKJV]