“Adjusting to see CLEARLY.”

Related Scripture:

“Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror, then we shall see face to face.  Now I know in part, then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” - 1 Corinthians 13:12

Basketball officials in the lead position, back judges in football, and base umpires in baseball and softball all have something in common.  They don’t want to get “straight-lined.”   Good mechanics help an official get the proper angle of vision to make the correct call.  Sometimes, the movement of the players and the ball forces officials to adjust to see the play accurately.

Proper vision is important in our spiritual lives.  The thirteenth chapter of I Corinthians is remembered mostly as the “love chapter,” but Paul ended that chapter by talking about the vision of followers of Christ.  Sometimes our priorities in life get in the way of seeing God’s plans for our lives clearly.  We get spiritually “straight-lined,” so we need to adjust what we are doing to see what God wants us to do.

When Paul talked about a mirror, he was talking about a piece of polished metal that could only provide a hazy reflection.  When we look at our spiritual lives using things other than God’s word, we will only get hazy reflections.  The Holy Spirit provides the proper vision for seeing the things of God clearly.  Followers of Christ are waiting for His return, and that will give us complete knowledge and understanding of spiritual things.  While we look forward to that, we are expected to be growing spiritually until He returns.  Even though our vision and knowledge may not be as complete as it will be, we need to stay in God’s word and be persistent in prayer so we will continue to mature spiritually.

Questions to Ponder:

Are there priorities in my life that are keeping me from having a clear vision of God’s plans for me?

Am I committed to seeking spiritual maturity through prayer and the study of God’s word?

Dr. Ralph Swearngin, FCO Advisor