We’ve probably all heard of ink blot tests (Rorshack tests) that psychiatrists use in diagnoses. The way I understand it these inkblots test your perceptions. Doctors show you the sample and then ask, “What do you see?” Psychiatrists aren’t the only ones who ask this question, God frequently asks this as well. However, He asks it not to diagnose us, but to get us to see the world through His eyes.

Years ago my husband’s company went through an improvement campaign as they tend to do once every few years. This campaign focused on having a paradigm shift and being able to see from another’s perspective – a good thing to be able to do. My Sweetie came home with the tag line of the training: “Things are not as they are, but as they are perceived.” There is truth in this statement. We humans tend to see what we want to see. (That is obvious from the recent American political campaigning and election.) We look at the world through our own individual, mental lens which is just as distinct and varied as our individual eye glass prescriptions.

We each have our own world view. We can generalize and call it a Christian world view or a secular world view, but those are broad categories. Getting more specific within a Christian world view you find many differences of opinion in how an individual views life, God, people, and the society around him. But if even Christian world views vary, which one is correct?

I have an answer?

The one that looks to Jesus for all answers and is open to being corrected if we misinterpret.

As I was reading through the Bible last year something caught my attention. Jehovah God frequently asked His earthly prophets that question I mentioned: What do you see?

God understood the human paradigm didn’t always see things clearly or accurately. Of course, He does! He made us! He knows how we see the world only from our own point of view. I think that may be why He asked Isaiah and Amos and Zechariah those questions. And why He asks us, if we listen, What do you see?

Isaiah 55:8 states, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.” As Creator to the universe, God sees our world in total truth and accuracy. Therefore, His thoughts are always correct. He understands and knows all the intricacies of any situation. We, on the other hand, are not always correct; our thoughts and ways are not His. We see things from a skewed perspective through the lens of sin and selfishness. Mentally I’ve always equated it with those “drunk” glasses – you know, the ones that simulate the effects of alcohol impairment with lenses that cause visual distortion. Our perceptions are just that, distorted perceptions, not truth. Scripture tells us this, it says that we don’t see clearly. Hidden away in the love chapter is this verse: “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. ” (1 Corinthians 13:12)

We see in a mirror dimly. … We only know in part. … Do we realize this? In any given situation, humanly we can only see dimly as though looking in a foggy bathroom mirror and we can only know a partial truth. I tend to think I know the answer. (If you don’t believe me ask my husband!) And he thinks the same thing about His answer even when our answers are polar opposites. It’s not possible for us both to be right, but we are both convinced we are. My husband’s favorite line to say about himself is, “Not always right, but never in doubt.” Is that not a true statement about most of us? So if we see dimly, and if we are not right when we think we are, yet we confidently assert ourselves, would it not be best to listen to THE ONE who does know? The One who is right? When His still, small voice asks us “What do you see?” we need to look and listen.

God has so much wisdom and knowledge and understanding to reveal to us, yet we go on our merry, prideful way thinking we know it all. Let’s stop. Let’s look to Jesus for answers. Let us try to see through His eyes. Let us humble ourselves before Him and seek His ways and thoughts. Let us listen when He whispers – What do you see? and then open our spiritual eyes and ask Him to show us truth.

I’m not much of a crime show, podcast, law and order kind of gal. I am fairly sure I might be the exception in that regard though. I do like a documentary and recently I ran across a crime docu-series slash drama-mentary, or two and the same word occurred in both and caught my attention.

One, because I had never heard the word before and I like a new word. I will typically make a note, I have a running list of new words.

Two, because I had no idea what the new word meant and thought I might like to know. Perhaps it would add to my overall understanding of the documentaries I’d been watching.

And three, something told me I’d want to come back to that word and ponder on it a bit. 

The word, exculpatory, in the context of the show, was in relation to evidence. Back in the day if I’d’ve wanted to know what that word meant I’d’ve had to wait until I could find myself a World Book Encyclopedia, or an Encyclopedia Britannica. The latter was my least favorite of the two as it seemed antiquated, with yellowed thin pages, fewer illustrations, and it was generally bulkier and heavier. The World Book was sleek and streamlined with gold lettering, a snazzy index, colorful illustrations and photographs. I tended to prefer it’s overall organization. Also, it seemed to weigh just slightly less despite its thick and substantial page quality. Yet now we are living the Age of Information and have volumes more information at the end of our fingertips. So courtesy of my backlit handheld device which incidentally has more computer capabilities than it took to take man to the moon, I set to searching. 

A quick internet search revealed that exculpatory evidence is evidence favorable to the defendant in a criminal trial that exonerates or tends to exonerate the defendant of guilt. It is the opposite of inculpatory evidence, which tends to present guilt.

In the cases that I had watched, in both instances, the exculpatory evidence had been withheld presumably resulting in unmerited incarceration. 

As I pondered not on the guilt or innocence of the documentary subject matter, the perhaps wrongly convicted persons languishing in the penal system, my mind meandered to my own guilt. 

The guilt of sin, the very thing that separates us from God, condemns me to death. There is nothing I can do to exonerate myself, to declare I am innocent for that would be a lie, an untruth, and would condemn me further. Yet because of my King and the salvation He has provided, He became Exculpatory Evidence on my behalf. He has absolved my sin and annihilated the sentence of death. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, His death on a cross, He has become my sin and I have taken on His righteousness. In the cases I was watching, the Prosecution allegedly withheld the exculpatory evidence, and it struck me how freely Jesus gave of Himself to set this captive free and to exonerate this guilty party of her sin and pending death, evidence of the grace and mercy that are the very definition of Christ Himself and Salvation He offers.

It was a normal day, maybe a bit more strenuous, with hours of heavy house cleaning followed by a hot shower before planning to run errands and prepare supper. Then suddenly there were arcs of light flashing in my eyes, and that normal day became anything but normal.

I immediately started blinking hoping it would go away. But I knew instinctively it wouldn’t. Somewhere in the back of my mind I heard the words “flashes of light before the eyes” and “blood pressure” in the same sentence. Where did I know that from? The thought then made me question, Do I call the eye doctor or my physician? Is this a medical or eye issue?

I sat down to cool off and rest to see if it would go away, but to no avail. So I made the decision to call the eye doctor first. Maybe they could refer me to who I needed to see if it was not them. Trying to look up a number when you’re having eye issues is challenging. I finally got through to my ophthalmologist, and my inquiries to the receptionist were followed by an immediate, “Come on. We’ll work you in.”

After a short drive, several bright lights, and drops in the eye, the verdict came. A possible detached retina which would send me immediately to the retina specialist across town. By the time I got there the flashes of lights had stopped, but lack of a symptom did not mean I hadn’t experienced a problem.

The retina specialist was young, but exceptionally kind and knowledgable. He did more thorough testing as I emotionally held my breath and prayed that this would not end in eye surgery or loss of vision. A good hour after the normal close of business for most medical professionals, my new friend and retina doctor gave me good news and sent me on my way home with instructions to return if I experienced the symptoms again. Much to my relief, it was not a detached retina, but a condition of aging which cause the vitreous fluid of the eye to dry up a bit, shrink, and pull on the retina causing symptoms similar to a detaching retina.

I learned several things that day.

1. When something weird happens with your eyes, get to a doctor quickly.
2. Dryness in the eye can be dangerous.
3. Not all things are what they appear to be. Consult one who is an expert and follow His instructions.
4. Our vision is very important. We should do whatever is in our power to keep it healthy.

Scripture tells us that spiritual vision is very important as well. Proverbs 29:19 (KJV) says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keeps the law, happy is he.” Spiritual sight is as crucial as physical sight.

When our spiritual vision is not functioning correctly, we see ourselves, other people, and situations in a skewed fashion. What causes an impairment of spiritual vision? Anything that does not line up with God’s Holy Word and the example set by His son, Jesus.

• Pride. “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:3-5 ESV) These verses instruct us to have the mind of Christ, a mind of humility.
• Selfishness & Judgment. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:3-5 NIV) Let’s spend less time pointing fingers at others and deal with our own sinful, selfish hearts first.
• Lack of the Spirit of wisdom/enlightenment. “I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might.” (Ephesians 1:16-19 ESV) If we lack spiritual wisdom, how do we get it? – First, as Paul demonstrated here, we ask God for it, for ourselves and for others that we pray for. – Second, we seek to know God, the source of all wisdom. Job 12:13 ESV says “With God are wisdom and might; he has counsel and understanding.” – And finally, we stand in a healthy awe and fear of God. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding.” (Psalm 11:10 ESV)
• Sin. Any sin. Sin separates us from God and obscures our spiritual vision.

So when you find your spiritual vision flashing and failing on you, remember these things.

1. Get to the Great Physician quickly!
2. Realize that your spiritual dryness can damage your ability to see with God’s eyes. Make your relationship with Him a priority. A vibrant, healthy relationship.
3. Things aren’t always what they appear to us to be. Stay in God’s Word daily for wisdom. Follow His instructions from His Word.
4. Do whatever is in your power to keep your spiritual vision healthy. Repent. Pray. Memorize the Word. Journal. Study the Word. Gather with believers. Apply God’s Word. Teach. Disciple. Learn. Obey.

No detached retinas or eye diseases for us. Let us seek clear spiritual vision. Blindness is dangerous spiritually, but impaired vision that we become satisfied living with can be just as dangerous. “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped.” (Isaiah 35:5 ESV) Let us seek spiritual eyes to see and ears to hear.