My guide "Word" for 2016 has been the word, "See". I have asked God to challenge me to truly look beyond the surface...to stop glancing and to really see. He has challenged me to slow down and look into peoples' eyes - to see what's on their heart. He's challenged me to see Him in all of Creation that He's given me and to not take the slightest inchworm for granted. He's challenged me to look upon my own heart and see what is really there and if I need transforming, then to submit myself to the cutting knife of the transforming surgeon's love.
As a way to wind up my year of "seeing", I would like to share excerpts of a chapter from Ann Voskamp's book, "The Greatest Gift - Unwrapping the Full Love Story of Christmas."
"People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7)
Ann writes:
"Looking comes first," is what C.S. Lewis writes in 'The Great Divorce.' "Looking comes first if you're ever to find the life you want, if you are ever to 'see you a king.'"
Always, always - first the eyes. Joy is a function of gratitude, and gratitude is a function of perspective. You only begin to change your life when you begin to change the way you see....
It's the whole of humanity who live fixated on facades, blinded to the realest real. The shiny shell of things can bind you and blind you. It's a veiled God who elevates the veiled things: the heart, the interior, the soul. And it's a temporal world that elevates the foil and the plastic, the status and the skills, the physical and the tangible - all this concrete mirage. Humanity obsesses with vapors, not eternity...
People aren't bodies; they are hearts. We could train our eyes to turn everything inside out.
"Why should the eye be so lazy? Let us exercise the eye until it learns to see," writes G.K. Chesterton.
Let us exercise the eye until it sees through the fat of things, down to the eternal of things. Let us exercise the eye by walking with Christ.
There is this call for every Christian to answer His calling to be an ocular surgeon.
Our seeing must cut through surfaces down to souls.
You could close your eyes and ask it, see it....
Is my life about the heart of things? Is this my Christmas?
Am I deeply absorbed in Him and the heart of things? Or is my life a shallow absorption with surfaces?....
The world - it seems different these few weeks of Advent. It sees different. Each day of Advent, we enter deeper into the story of Christ...and enter deeper into Him. And it's Him who gives us eyes to really see.
To see past surfaces, to the heart of things - all the way down to the love....
The most brilliant, beautiful Person in the universe lost his physical attraction (Isaiah 53) so that we, being spiritually unsightly, could be beautiful in the eyes of God....
"O God and Father, I repent of my sinful preoccupation with the visible things. The world has been too much with me. Thou hast been here and I know it not. I have been blind to Thy presence. Open my eyes that I may behold Thee in and around me. For Christ's sake, Amen." (A.W. Tozer)
Be blessed....
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Bev, what a timely admonition! During the busyness of Advent it's so easy to look at/for the temporal. Thank you for the reminder to "cut through the surfaces down to the soul". Blessings from your neighbor at Holley's
ReplyDeleteAlice,
DeleteThis line really jumped out at me as well. Do my eyes linger long enough to cut down to the soul? Good convicting question to ask myself...
Advent blessings Alice...so glad you stopped by!
Bev
Dear Bev,
ReplyDeleteI was drawn to read this post as I saw on FB that we shared the same one word for 2016 - See. I love when God works that way, crossing His people for His purposes. This one line is powerful and I am very grateful to have read this today > "Our seeing must cut through surfaces down to souls."
May God continue to bless and grow RCF to the saving of many souls!
In His Love,
Joanne
Joanne,
DeleteI'm sure you'll agree that "See" brings with it some real challenges and moments of conviction. Having chosen the same word, we can urge each other onward...to become more like Christ. Oh how we safely dwell on the surface. May we be challenged to cut down to the souls. Thank you for your prayerful and financial support. Lives ARE being transformed through RCF!
Advent love and blessings,
Bev xx
Beautiful! Thank you for the challenge to really "see" others and to dig deeper with Christ and others. Ann knows how to get to the heart of the matter with her words. She is convicting and at the same time challenging. I pray your Advent has been a time of really "seeing" what's important and noticing those around you who need you.
ReplyDeleteMary,
DeleteYes, I've really been enjoying Ann's devotional book this season. This whole year has been convicting to really "see" beyond the surface. Thinking of and seeing YOU sweet friend this Advent and lifting you up in prayer!!
Blessings,
Bev xx
Thanks for sharing Ann's book today, Bev. It seems that more than a few of us are savoring Advent through her words. It's becoming a yearly treat for me to pull it off the shelf and transfer it to my night table.
ReplyDeleteAdvent blessings to you, friend ...
Linda,
DeleteLike you, it's become part of my tradition to read her book. This year my husband is joining in as well and we read and hang the ornaments together. Really helping us slow down and take in the TRUE meaning of this season.
Advent blessings back to you friend,
Bev xx
Seeing is a rough word to own, Bev, because once we see, we are responsible to "do." And you have certainly followed through on that in 2016.
ReplyDeleteMichele,
DeleteHow true - "seeing" is a rough word to own. I have triumphed and I have failed miserably this year, but it's been before me to keep taking steps in this direction. Oh, if all the world saw others as much as they focus on themselves....
Blessings friend,
Bev xx
Wow, such a beautiful and thought-provoking post, Bev. I agree and am challenged to look beyond the surface, not only with my own heart, but to see past the surface in others as well.
ReplyDeleteBeth,
DeleteBeing and "ocular surgeon" as Ann calls it takes some real guts. This year has been a good and healthy challenge to truly look beyond the surface in others and in myself.
Advent blessings friend,
Bev xx
"Joy is a function of gratitude, and gratitude is a function of perspective." Wise words, indeed, Bev. 'Also love the closing prayer by A. W. Tozer. Thank you, Bev, for refocusing our attention on the heart of things, for challenging us to really "see." A most merry, seeing Christmas to you!
ReplyDeleteNancy,
DeleteSomehow A. W. Tozer is timeless!! And, don't you love Ann's words?? This devotion of hers really summed up my year of "seeing". Praying that I will continue to want to see down to the heart of things and people.
Merry Christmas and a joyous Advent season to you too,
Bev xx
Thank you for this Bev! I wholeheartedly agree about the perspective of "seeing". God began several years ago transforming my perspective on life. I learned how flawed my usual view was and how it differed from the way He perceived my circumstances. Luke 4 was an eye-opener as I learned how Jesus perceived His own circumstances and because of it, did not get weighed down with life. He overcame, and so could I. Ever since then, I pray for "eyes to see, ears to hear.....". Thanks for this great reminder:)
ReplyDeleteI think of "seeing" as I think of being "awake." Not only important, but it comes with great blessings as well! Seeing both visible and invisible. Thanks for sharing this, Bev.
ReplyDeleteGreat reflections here! "See" is a great word of the year, and it is so important to learn to look deeper, not to judge people and situations by what we see on the surface but to look to the heart of things.
ReplyDeleteI constantly pray for God to open the eyes of my heart, that I would truly see Him and what His plans are for my life. I want to be able to look past what is right in front of me into those deeper areas. Thank you for sharing and link up!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing these wise, timely words, Bev. Every year seems to be busier than the last and, oh how I don't want to miss the miracle of Christmas for the the noise of life. -- And, please forgive me if I'm just not paying enough attention and am wrong, but -- did you make some changes to your site? Either way, it's so pretty. :) (And, thank you for the Christmas card and ornament. Love looking at, and praying for, those sweet faces.) Merry Christmas, friend. xoxo
ReplyDeleteThis is wonderful! It's true - we choose whether to see beyond the surface, we choose whether to see the Truth, we choose whether to see with the lens of God's perspective...or not. :) Blessed Christmas in advance !
ReplyDeletewww.snugglesandkisses.net