The Eyes Have It

By J. Randal Matheny

    A friend in Guarulhos asked me to write for the monthly church paper he edits for the congregations in his city. The theme for January is "Challenges for 2017." My assigned topic is about the challenge of controlling the eyes.
    We can control our eyes when they are focused on the right things. So we need:
        1. The look of love. John talks about loving the brother we see, 1Jn 4.20. We're familiar with that romantic look, not so much with the serving look. This look says, "How can I help you be whom God wants you to be?"
        2. The look of salvation. Instead of looking at people as objects for personal advantage, look at them as targets of God's love, possibilities for meaningful relationship, souls with an eternal destiny. "[L]ook up and see that the fields are already white for harvest!" Jn 4.35.
        3. The look at Jesus. If the Lord is our leader, if the Savior is also our example, then we fix our eyes on him, Hb 12.1-2. Remember Peter walking on the water for what happens when we take our eyes off him.
        4. The look at heaven. We need to get a fix on what is invisible and eternal, 2Co 4.18. We seek things above, "where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God" Col. 3:1.
    People talk about having the right look for a wardrobe. Christians are concerned to have the right look in their focus. This is our challenge and our blessed task.

- J. Randal Matheny edits and writes UPLift, an inspirational ezine. He
may be contacted here: <http://randalmathenycom/>. When reprinting this
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