Four Eyes
No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. 1 Corinthians 2:11-14
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousnessthat comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:9-11
Insight
I'm a bit absent-minded. I lose things frequently, most often my car keys and sandals. The other day it was my glasses, which is a big problem because I'm blind without them. After a good half hour of searching, I gave up and threw on my "emergency" pair.
I looked like a cross between Harry Potter and John Lennon. They weren't flattering. And neither were they very useful in helping me see better. The prescriptions were dated, along with the lenses smudged and scraped from years of use. Everything was somewhat in focus, but mostly hazy. Rather than walk, I stumbled. Instead of having a crystal-clear view, my vision suffered, and sooner rather than later, I had a massive headache.
Trying to walk through life in search of freedom and purpose, relying on worldly wisdom has a similar effect. It's serviceable. It does its job...sort of. But, it leaves us tentative and unsure of our footing. There's very little security in our steps.
And, even though that's our experience, for most of us, we hesitate to do anything about the futility we feel. Instead, we double down and rely on our limited understanding and perspective. We utilize our feelings to make decisions and dictate the relationships we have with others.
Our pride gets the better of us, which prevents us from asking for help or direction. Rather than request a hand, we grit our teeth and shout, "I've got this!", even though we know deep down inside that's not true.
But, there's a better way. A different type of wisdom exists. It's not a quick fix, but a journey toward understanding. Discernment takes place one faithful step at a time. We cannot walk on this path without humbling ourselves by allowing God to guide our actions.
His Spirit opens our eyes and transforms our hearts. By keeping our focus on Him, we see our true selves. God wants to show us things we could never see by ourselves.
Reflection
What situation are you trying to understand from your limited perspective?
Where do you need to rely on His wisdom to guide your steps?
Prayer
God, may I allow Your wisdom to guide my steps rather than look for security in my limited understanding. I will tune my ears to Your Spirit. Open my eyes to see the situations around me where You are moving and asking me to display courage, faith, and obedience. In Your name, Jesus. Amen.