Healthy Eyes

What do you see?

We had made it to the top of Burnt Mountain on our mountain bikes. It was my first time there. I was overwhelmed by the views. City. Hills. Reservoirs. Ocean. Clouds. Colors. I was navigating my cell phone to capture some of it, when a guy in our group barked, “Let’s get rolling.” “What? We just got here!” I thought.

Then I noticed that no one in the group seemed interested in the view, much less stopping to take pictures. For some of them it was because they had been there before—old news. But for others it was something far worse—they just didn’t care.

Not noticing, nor caring about beautiful scenery isn’t necessarily a serious issue; but having eyes that look with indifference is. 

The eyes of faith

Lately God has been teaching me a lot about the power of faith. How our words can change things. How standing on the promises of His Word evokes the unchangeable power of His covenant. And also how important the way we look at things is.

Jesus told His disciples not to worry about anything. This wasn’t a suggestion. It was a command. He said, “That’s what the Gentiles do”. In other words, people who have no covenant with God worry about what they see or don’t see.  Then He contrasted two ways of seeing things…

The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! (Matthew 6:22–23, NKJV) 

Healthy eyes and evil eyes

The Greek word that is translated, “good” is the word, “haplos”. It literally means, “healthy.” A person who has a “haplos eye” sees things as being strong, vigorous, blessed, and full of potential. 

The Greek word that is translated, “evil” is the word, “pineros”. It literally means, “unhealthy.” A person with a “pineros eye” sees things as weak, ugly, diminishing, and having no future.

When we look at something we have a choice to either see it through our natural perception, or with vision empowered by the Holy Spirit. Seeing with the eyes of faith gives us the ability to actually see things the way God sees them.

You could be standing there looking at the same thing everyone else is, but seeing it entirely different. You see something that is full of beauty, life, and blessing, while they see nothing. And it’s this kind of faith-filled vision that nobody, including Satan himself, can take from you.

So when the dark, blind, evil eye interrupts your joyous insight with, “Let’s get rolling.” You can say, “Nope. I’m going stay here and enjoy the view!”