“What we see now is like a dim image in a mirror.” (1
Corinthians 13:12)
Mirrors, back in Bible times, were nothing like the crystal-clear glass mirrors we use today. Mirrors then were made from highly polished stones, metals, or water, and they only displayed a dim, wavering reflection.
This past week, my husband, Dick has been dealing with vision that mimics those old mirrors. Over the weekend he noticed that a third of the vision from his left eye was obscured. He called the eye doctor the next morning, was seen that afternoon, and was immediately referred to a retina special—Immediately as in, “Don’t eat or drink anything and go right now to Hagerstown for possible eye surgery this evening!”
That dark area was due to a partially detached retina. He was told they caught it in the “knick of time” and began treatment that started with a gas bubble being inserted into the eye, followed two days later by laser zaps to seal the tear. It was an extremely painful procedure, and he won’t be able to see clearly from that eye till the bubble dissipates—in about three weeks! Talk about a dim image!
A similar effect can occur if we detach ourselves from our relationship with Jesus. We let our Bible collect dust and our prayer time evaporate. If we go at all, church becomes a drudge we can barely sit through, anxious to be other places doing other things. James 1:24 warns us about this: “Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you let the Word go in one ear and out the other. Those who hear and don’t act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later forget what they look like.”
If we continue to neglect our relationship with Jesus, our priorities get out of whack, and we find ourselves seeing life through a distorted lens. Our focus is on ourselves—not on Jesus, not on others.
If your spiritual outlook resembles the dark, wavering vision produced by a detached retina with a bubble behind it, turn to Jesus and let Him speak truth to your heart, no matter how painful the process, and really listen. It will all become clear.
Be encouraged!
