One of the most frequent metaphors in Scripture is the contrast of mankind’s physical vision with the spiritual vision perceived by a regenerated heart.When we sing the words “I once was blind, but now I see” (from the familiar hymn “Amazing Grace”) the idea is that, once man’s heart has been changed, the blinders come off and he is able to perceive spiritual matters that had been previously obscured.
But, with that said... the fact that a saved man is enabled to spiritually “see” is a DIFFERENT MATTER than what he, of his own volition, will choose to focus his eyes upon.
Let me explain by way of an analogy.
Let’s say there is a man who has the greatest PHYSICAL eyesight in all the world, but for some reason he chooses to always focus his eyes on a point two inches in front of his nose. In this case, what good does the man’s amazing eyesight accomplish? How helpful is this otherwise fantastic advantage?
Well, in that example, the gift of excellent physical vision is of no real value. By focusing only two inches in front of us nose, the man would be functionally blind… inclined to stumble, to run into things, and unable to effectively navigate the world around him. In other words, his great vision would be of little help to him because of what he chose to FOCUS UPON.
This same issue of focus, if you extrapolate it spiritually, is the problem for a great many Christians.
You and I have been granted the ability to see and discern a great many spiritual matters... but we often push these things to the periphery, focusing instead on matters of this world and the distractions therein. We are not unlike the man whose focus is two inches in front of his nose, oblivious to the larger reality that surrounds him.
But that's not what we're called to!
The purpose of God-given sight is to perceive the world around us. And, just as a man with perfect eyesight must train and broaden his gaze in order to benefit from it, we as Christians must spiritually do the same.
