A few months ago, I did something I never thought I would need to do.

I got glasses.

The funny thing is that I probably should have done it sooner.

Over the last several years, my reading load has increased significantly. Between ministry, writing books, preparing sermons, and working on my Ph.D. in Psychology and Theology, I spend countless hours every week reading journal articles, textbooks, research papers, and Scripture. What used to feel effortless started becoming more difficult. I found myself holding books a little farther away, adjusting the brightness on my computer screen, rereading paragraphs, and dealing with tired eyes at the end of the day.

Like many people, I convinced myself it was just fatigue.

After all, when you spend hours reading every day, a little eye strain seems normal.

But eventually I realized the problem wasn’t simply that I was reading more. I wasn’t seeing as clearly as I used to.

So I scheduled an eye exam.

During the appointment, the doctor began switching lenses in front of my eyes and asking the familiar question, “Which is clearer? One or two?”

At first, I didn’t think there was much difference.

Then suddenly it happened.

The blurry became sharp.

The fuzzy became defined.

The details I didn’t realize I was missing came into focus.

I remember putting on my new glasses for the first time and being amazed at how crisp everything looked. Words on a page were sharper. Computer screens were clearer. Leaves on trees had definition I hadn’t noticed before. Road signs were easier to read. The world hadn’t changed, but my ability to see it had.

The glasses have taken some getting used to.

The frames felt strange.

My peripheral vision felt different.

Sometimes I would reach up to adjust them even when they didn’t need adjusting.

There were moments I wanted to take them off simply because they felt unfamiliar.

And somewhere in the middle of that adjustment process, God began showing me how much this experience resembles what happens when we begin a relationship with Jesus.

You Don’t Always Realize What You’re Missing

Before I got glasses, I wasn’t walking around telling people I couldn’t see.

I thought I could see just fine.

The problem wasn’t blindness. The problem was that I had adapted to limited vision.

I had unknowingly adjusted my life around something that wasn’t functioning the way it was supposed to.

Spiritually, many of us do the same thing.

Before Christ, we often assume we are seeing life clearly. We make decisions based on emotions, experiences, cultural influences, personal preferences, and assumptions. We trust our own understanding because it is all we have ever known.

Then Jesus steps into our lives.

Suddenly we begin seeing things differently.

We see our need for grace.

We see God’s faithfulness in places we once called coincidence.

We see the consequences of our choices.

We see the brokenness beneath our masks.

We see people through the lens of compassion instead of judgment.

We see eternity where we once saw only the temporary.

The world hasn’t changed.

Our vision has.

Paul wrote:

“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers.” (2 Corinthians 4:4, NIV)

Without Christ, we don’t simply need more information. We need transformed vision.

Clarity Can Feel Uncomfortable

One thing nobody warned me about was that better vision would initially feel strange.

I expected clearer sight.

I didn’t expect the adjustment period.

For the first few days, I was constantly aware of the glasses. They felt foreign. Different. Unfamiliar.

Following Jesus often feels the same way.

Many people assume that when they come to Christ everything immediately becomes comfortable. But often the opposite happens.

The Holy Spirit begins showing us things we previously ignored.

Attitudes we once justified become convictions.

Habits we once defended become burdens.

Relationships we thought were healthy reveal unhealthy patterns.

Priorities we once chased suddenly feel empty.

The clarity is good, but the adjustment can be challenging.

Why?

Because truth often reveals things we couldn’t see before.

Jesus loves us too much to leave us in spiritual blindness.

The Same World Looks Different Through New Lenses

One of the biggest surprises about glasses is that they didn’t just help me see better. They changed how I viewed everything.

The same roads.

The same trees.

The same buildings.

The same world.

But a completely different perspective.

That is exactly what happens when we begin following Christ.

The circumstances of life don’t magically disappear.

The diagnosis may still be there.

The financial pressure may still be there.

The difficult marriage may still need work.

The grief may still ache.

The prodigal child may still be wandering.

But now we see those situations through a different lens.

Instead of asking, “Why is this happening to me?” we begin asking, “God, what are You teaching me through this?”

Instead of seeing only obstacles, we begin seeing opportunities for faith.

Instead of seeing only pain, we begin looking for purpose.

Instead of focusing solely on the problem, we begin looking for God’s presence in the middle of it.

Romans 12:2 says:

“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Transformation often begins with learning to see differently.

Growth Reveals How Much You Don’t Know

One of the humbling realities of doctoral studies is realizing how much you don’t know.

The deeper I dive into theology, psychology, research, and Scripture, the more I recognize how much there is still to learn.

The same thing happens in our spiritual lives.

When we first come to Christ, we often think we have things figured out.

Then we begin growing.

We study God’s Word.

We walk through trials.

We experience His faithfulness.

We gain wisdom.

And suddenly we realize how much bigger God is than we imagined.

Maturity is not believing you see everything clearly.

Maturity is recognizing your need to keep growing.

The Apostle Paul wrote:

“Now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.” (1 Corinthians 13:12, NIV)

The longer we walk with Jesus, the more we understand that spiritual growth is a lifelong process of increasing clarity.

Clear Vision Requires Consistency

I’ve also discovered that putting my glasses on once doesn’t help much if I spend the rest of the day without them.

If I want consistent clarity, I need to wear them consistently.

The same principle applies spiritually.

Many people have occasional encounters with God but fail to develop consistent habits that sustain spiritual vision.

They attend church once in a while.

Read Scripture occasionally.

Pray only when life becomes difficult.

Then they wonder why things feel blurry.

Spiritual clarity grows through daily connection.

Through prayer.

Through worship.

Through Scripture.

Through Christian community.

Through obedience.

Jesus is not someone we visit when life gets confusing.

He becomes the lens through which we learn to view everything.

Sometimes We Forget How Much We’ve Changed

The longer I wear my glasses, the less I notice them.

In fact, sometimes I forget they are even there.

Then I’ll take them off and immediately realize how much they help.

The difference is obvious.

The same thing happens in our walk with God.

Sometimes we become so accustomed to His work in our lives that we forget how much He has changed us.

We forget the fears He helped us overcome.

The wounds He healed.

The lies He replaced with truth.

The habits He broke.

The prayers He answered.

The strength He supplied.

Then we look back and realize we are not the same person we used to be.

We think differently.

Love differently.

Respond differently.

Forgive differently.

Trust differently.

Not because we became stronger on our own, but because Christ has been transforming our vision all along.

Keep Looking Through the Right Lens

As I’ve adjusted to wearing glasses, I’ve realized something important.

The goal isn’t the glasses themselves.

The goal is seeing clearly.

Likewise, Christianity is not merely about attending church, checking religious boxes, or accumulating biblical knowledge.

The goal is seeing life through the eyes of Christ.

Seeing God more clearly.

Seeing ourselves more accurately.

Seeing others more compassionately.

Seeing our circumstances more faithfully.

Seeing our future more hopefully.

Maybe today your perspective feels blurry.

Maybe disappointment has clouded your vision.

Maybe fear has distorted what you see.

Maybe pain has convinced you that God is absent.

Don’t settle for blurry vision.

Ask God to help you see clearly.

The closer you walk with Jesus, the more your perspective changes. What once looked hopeless begins to reveal possibility. What once looked random begins to reveal purpose. What once looked like an ending may actually be the beginning of something God has been preparing all along.

The world may not change overnight.

But through Christ, the way you see it can.

And sometimes that changes everything.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for opening our eyes to see You more clearly. Thank You for not leaving us in spiritual blindness but continually revealing Your truth through Your Word and Your Spirit. When our vision becomes clouded by fear, disappointment, pride, or pain, help us see life through Your perspective. Renew our minds and strengthen our faith. Teach us to view ourselves, others, and our circumstances through the lens of Your grace and truth. As we grow in our relationship with Jesus, help us embrace the changes You are making in us, even when they feel unfamiliar. Give us the courage to trust what You are showing us and the wisdom to follow where You lead. Thank You for continually bringing greater clarity, purpose, and hope into our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen.