It’s an old saying that some folks “look at life through rose colored glasses.”  No doubt that is true and it is not always a bad thing.  But it can be detrimental when the “rose colored glasses” shade out reality preventing actions that need to be taken that can bring improvement and order to our lives.

Actually, we look through different lenses at different times in our lives.  As children (unless we were subjected to some trauma early in our lives), we saw the world as our huckleberry just waiting to be picked by us and savored.  As we looked through our rose colored glasses, we felt everything would always be all right.  Since I became acquainted with the Lord at a very young age, I knew that He was in control of everything and expected that the rest of life would be just wonderful.  That was comforting to a child, but unrealistic as I became an adult.  The world had many who had a different view, and I would be coming in contact with them; they would have an effect on my life and influence circumstances that, as a child, I would not have expected.  That’s life, and life is not always fair.

As we mature and see that life consists of good and bad choices, we have to lighten the shade of our lenses.  The Lord will still be there to inspire right decisions and light the best path to travel, but we will have come under different influences and experiences which require life-changing decisions.  At times we have made good decisions and are blessed; sometimes bad ones with unpleasant circumstances; and we discovered that we are responsible for the outcome.

We meet others with many different lenses in their outlook glasses.  If life’s paths take them into experiences beyond their control that leave them scarred and battered, they might change their lenses to see a self-pity view.   They could become pessimists who look through glasses which have dark lenses that block out the light of improvement.  Nothing is right and their expectations are always negative and they feel “poor me.”  Our prolonged exposure to their view will eventually affect the way we see life.  While we can love and pray for them and respect how they feel, it would not be wise to form a close relationship with them, lest we become infected.

Often times, we allow our own choices to take us into a territory that is less than good.  Although we did it to ourselves, the pain is no less.  Whether bad things that happened were out of our control or we brought it on ourselves by a bad choice, it comes with discomfort.  It is at times like this that we need clear, plano (no prescription to change the clarity of the view) lenses—to see life as it really is.  Only then can we make a right choice that will be beneficial.  Pity parties only exacerbate our pain and attract others of like mind, and we feed off of each other to keep the party going.

Then there are lenses of hopelessness, also dark colored lenses that block out the Sonlight.  The situation appears to be totally irreversible and we may feel “this is my lot in life.”  It could be physical pain or disability; it could be personal relationships that have gone awry; it could be serious needs that we can’t see how to meet, or anything else that makes us feel like it is a life sentence to live/feel this way.  I am not at all referring to real physical conditions that need and will respond to remediation, but sometimes there are incidences that are beyond medical help and just have to be endured. 

Let me stop here and inject 1 Corinthians 10:13.

“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man:  but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

God is faithful!  There are two threads of thought here:  Escape it or bear it.  Whether the way is made to completely escape the hopeless situation or we are left in it—the Lord is still faithful.  He will never leave us in a place that will destroy us; but He will deliver us from it or give us grace and power to bear it—and use it for His glory and our good either way. 

Folks with debilitating illnesses or disabilities know what it is to “bear it.”  Some of the most humble, outspoken voices for Christ are in the “bear it” category.  They don’t look through dark lenses of hopelessness; they rejoice that the Lord is always faithful and their view reaches beyond this life.  They know what it is to have a personal relationship with the “God of all comfort” who not only comforts them but allows them to comfort others who need it.

“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God” (2 Corinthians 1:13, 14).

We have an array of lenses to pick from, and it is our choice.  If our vision is limited to this life and this time in our lives, we may have to guard against picking out a pair with rose color (fantasizing or fooling ourselves) or maybe a very dark shade, hoping to hide the ugliness of un-repented-of sin and its condemnation or a remedy that we aren’t happy to use to alleviate it.  We may attempt to hide it from ourselves, but it will not go away until we have taken it to Calvary where Jesus has an answer.  That remedy is always available for all who will accept it.  In fact, it is the only successful remedy; nothing else works.

“Plano” lenses do not magnify nor diminish the view.  With these clear lenses, we can see what we should do, which path we should take; and this view will lead us to Jesus.  We must not allow our vision to be clouded with unrealistic rose-colored or dark shaded lenses lest we falter on our way.  It has been marked for us; all we have to do is follow.  Jesus is “The Way,” and the only Way that leads to life.

“Jesus saith unto him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life:  no man cometh unto the Father, but by me’ ” (John 14:6).

“Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life…” (Matthew 7:14).

If we are to be beneficial to the Kingdom of God in our walk toward Heaven, it is vitally important that we continually see Truth through clear lenses and stay on the right path, because as Paul said, “Ye are our epistle [letter] written in our hearts, known and read of all men” (2 Corinthians 3:2); we may be the only Bible someone reads.  Jesus also said “Ye are the light of the world,” and it is His light that illuminates us.  Even those looking through dark-colored lenses will be able to see The Light (Jesus) through us.

“And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed” (Hebrews 12:13).

If our eyes are healthy, we don’t need to wear corrective lenses.  May we keep our spiritual eyes in such good health that we can see our way clearly and mark the path for those who follow after.

“The light of the body is the eye:  if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light” (Matthew 6:22).

Let us be bright lights, as Jesus is reflected through us!

~~Delores~~