Seeking Eyes Like Jesus
Before Christ emerged into my life these questions always pondered my mind… “Why are people so selfish?”, “Why should I even be nice to these people? All they do is tear others down.”, “Why are people so stuck in their ways?”
I mean, haven’t we all been there? I’m sure I’m not the only one who's had these thoughts or feelings. You may have felt that way toward a family member, a friend, a coworker, or even a stranger. As I mentioned, before Christ emerged into my life, I was silently judging people. Because of this, I’m also guilty. Then Jesus came into my life and helped give me new eyes to the truth.
1 Samuel 16:7 “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’”
Truth is, not everyone thinks the way you do. You can’t expect someone to understand or act the way you believe is the appropriate way of living. Everyone was created uniquely by God, we can sometimes wish to change something about a person, but like Samuel, we can base our judgments on the outward appearance of others rather than the heart. It definitely is not easy changing your perspective on someone who you find hard-headed, unappreciative, or even oblivious to what they’re doing. When we ask God to give eyes to see this individual the way He sees them, trust me… He will.
Psalms 119:18 “Open my eyes, that I may see…”
When I was 18 years old, fresh out of high school. My mom and I would constantly bump heads with one another. She would say one thing, I would say another, our voices would raise, then there would be some name-calling, and now, we both can’t stand each other. After one argument escalated more than expected, she kicked me out of the house. Long story short, I genuinely hated her with all of my heart. I didn’t understand her behavior and I questioned her decisions she made without considering other outside factors that may have played into those decisions. I hated how selfish and hard-headed she was to only listen to herself and never take an interest in my side of the story.
Flash forward a few years, we got into another disagreement, surprise right?!, and at that point, I couldn’t handle it anymore, I distanced myself from her. I felt like she would never change, but if I continued to be in close proximity to someone that I constantly fought with, my life would be full of hatred and anger.
It was in this time of distance that I started pursuing God. I remember praying to Jesus to help me understand my mother from the perspective of Jesus. Here is the thing, it is not the other person that needs to change first, we have to take the first step in changing our perspective and our hearts to see like Jesus.
Luke 6:42 “How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ When you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.”
Realizing I needed to take the first step I then saw the truth… Jesus showed me a different side of her I never saw before. In His eyes, she is a fragile little girl that had been given up by her own parents and had fend for herself her whole life. She didn’t have anyone she could turn to or lean on. She didn’t know how to give love or receive it.
So, I asked God to show me what I could do to help and you know what He spoke to me?
He wanted me to love her the way He loves, and to see her the way He sees her. I am not saying that everything is going to be butterflies and sunsets after you take those first steps in seeking to see like Jesus. The last time I remembered being embraced by my mother was when I was 10 years old before a weekend school trip, because of this I know it was something out of the ordinary for her to do, but she did it for me to be reminded that I am loved. No one has ever taught her how to show love to another. Since then, I have been smothering my mom in hugs, pouring my love onto her, and telling her “I love you.” I have chosen to love her the way she’s never been loved before, the way Jesus loves her. Though she pretends to be grossed out by my hugs and annoying “I love you",” the smirk on her face is enough for me to keep smothering her in Christ’s love.
When you ask Jesus to open your eyes, it’s a whole new perspective of life. I have been able to see others as Jesus sees them. I have come to the understanding of how to love others so much more despite arguments or different ways of life.
I challenge you to take some time and examine the way you perceive others. It could be relationships with a family member, a friend, boyfriend or girlfriend, a co-worker, or a relationship from past or present. Is there a situation that led to you seeking your own perspective on the person rather than looking at them through Jesus’ eyes? How can you take the first step in changing your heart to see others the ways Jesus sees them? It may even be asking for forgiveness, a conversation over a cup of coffee about your falling out, or you may need to take time with the Lord in really looking at your heart and the way you see others. Whatever it is, we are here for you. I am here for you. I know it is not the easiest thing to do, but trust me, when we seek eyes like Jesus our hearts love like Jesus, and our bodies begin to emulate the true light of Christ’s love.
Luke 11:34 “Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness.”
John 1:9 “The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.”
