Our eyes are powerful. Through them, we navigate our environment, make decisions, and respond to what we see. In many ways, the direction we look determines the direction we go. The Bible often uses the eyes metaphorically to illustrate spiritual truths because of how essential they are to our understanding and navigation in life.
Our eyes guide us, influence our thoughts, and can even affect the condition of our hearts. In life, we are constantly drawn to look at the things around us—our circumstances, challenges, successes, and failures.
Just as our physical eyes help us avoid obstacles, find our path, and make choices, what we choose to look at spiritually also determines our direction. Our eyes guide us both physically and spiritually, revealing what is important to us, what we value, and what captures our attention.
In the same way that a driver looks ahead to steer the car, what we focus on spiritually shapes the path we take. This is why Jesus said, “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light” (Matthew 6:22). A healthy spiritual gaze, fixed on God, will fill our life with light and truth, while a gaze fixed on worldly distractions can lead to darkness and confusion.
The Bible not only speaks of physical sight but also refers to a deeper kind of vision—“the eye of understanding” or spiritual insight. This concept is about perceiving with the heart and mind, beyond just the physical. The Apostle Paul prays in Ephesians 1:18, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people.” This “eye of the heart” is a metaphor for spiritual perception and discernment.
The “inner eye” is our capacity to perceive spiritual realities—truths that go beyond the physical realm. It involves seeing with faith, understanding God’s will, and discerning His guidance even when our physical eyes might not have clarity. This inner eye allows us to look at situations with a Godly perspective, to see His hand at work in every circumstance, and to discern spiritual truths that are not immediately visible to the physical eye.
It is important to highlight an important truth here. Just because your natural eyes can’t see what is before us, does not mean that the thing does not exist. This is why Paul told the Corinthians in 1 Cor 2:14, But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
If you are not there yet, you will get to that point in your Christian life when people will call you stupid because of the decisions and choices you make as your led by the Spirit of God. I have been there several times. When I gave my life to Christ at the age of 12, it was not a fashionable thing to do. These days, when you tell people you went to Church on Sunday, some people would respond, “That’s nice”, not back then. It even gets worse when you tell them you are born again. Back then, the term used in the part of Nigeria where I come from loses it’s bite when translated to English but you are spoken of as having “accepted madness with religion”
In Acts 3:1-10, Peter and John encountered a lame man begging for alms at the gate called Beautiful. When he asked them for money, Peter said, “Look at us.” The man looked, expecting to receive something, but what he received was far more valuable—he was healed in the name of Jesus Christ. He asked for temporary relief, but God provided a complete transformation.
The Bible is full of stories that not only tells us the history of man but also that we learn lessons from the choices made by the characters in those stories. Abraham looked at his childless circumstances and concluded that he would not have a heir to inherit all that he had. When Sarah suggested that he take Hagar as a wife to have children through her, Abraham saw this as a way out. (Genesis 16:3-4) It was easy for Abraham to believe that Hagar would give him a child when he was 86 years old but he laughed at the improbability of Sarah conceiving a child at the age of 90, when he was 100.
We often look to temporary solutions to our problems, but when we shift our gaze to Jesus, He provides what we truly need. Our faith can unlock the extraordinary when we look to God instead of relying on our limited expectations.
What we look at impacts our perspective, emotions, and even our faith. In a world full of distractions, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by our circumstances. When we focus on the wrong things—like our problems, doubts, or worldly pleasures—we become anxious, discouraged, and distant from God. The Bible warns that where our eyes are, our hearts will follow. That’s why it’s crucial to fix our gaze on God, the only one who is unchanging, faithful, and able to fulfill His promises.
The question, “What Are You Looking At?” is a call for us to self-reflection. Are your eyes fixed on the problems around you, or are they looking to the One who holds the answers? As we choose to look up to God, we will find hope, strength, and direction. Let us make a commitment to fix our gaze on Him, for He is the source of our salvation and the One who can truly transform our circumstances.
Today, I want to encourage you to focus your gaze on God, the One who truly has the power to meet our needs and change our circumstances. When we keep our eyes on Him, we find strength, hope, and direction.
May we always keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Amen.
(Extract from sermon preached at Chatham Evangelical Church on 17/10/2024)
