Part of perception is expectation. When I look at you, who do I expect to see? God says, "See, I am doing a new thing! Do you not perceive it," (Isaiah 43:19). The answer depends upon what we expect when we look; through which lenses are we looking? The word perceive is defined as recognition through the senses, but we know that our senses can deceive us and, therefore, we must look through better lenses than our human eyes.
Expectation is like a filing cabinet. We have different expectations for different people for different reasons. Think of all of those expectations as locked up in a filing cabinet and when someone approaches, you open your file on them and review it as the two of you interact. If Lucy's file is filled with "gossip, cheat and liar," I'm bound to react to her in a very bound-up and protected manner, regardless of how she is acting or treating me. I cannot see her any other way, because my lens is colored with those expectations and I can't see clearly through them. If, however, I read "grace-giver, confidant, encouragement, and BFF," I will view her through the lenses of those expectations and my reactions will be quite different.
If you determine to see Jesus in everyone, you will see them differently and you will respond to them differently, as well. Jesus said, "Fix your eyes on Me. What you are going through is just a dance and I am your partner. Consider how you would act in response to Me. Keep your eyes firmly set upon My face and your issues will begin to melt away."
Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. ~ Proverbs 4:25
No comments:
Post a Comment