Tuesday, December 07, 2010

To See Like My Savior: Symptoms

To say we have one or more symptoms implies a higher standard. If we are sick, the higher standard is feeling better! In this case, if we are beginning with our symptoms - but haven't yet studied how God sees us - how doe we know something isn't right?

May I submit a few ideas?

* Through God nudging our hearts, when we know Him and follow Him - our hearts are to be sensitive to hearing from Him.

* Just through what we know of God's character! We know that God would not spend His time in useless criticism of Himself - and even in us. He would rather see healing, restoration and growth.

* We were made in His image. I think we know when we are not of one heart with our Maker.

* Asking God to seek us out and show us any way that is not of Him. We need to be soft-hearted to receive instruction from Him. Psalm 139:23, "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me, and know my anxious thoughts."

I think we know in our heart of hearts if we are not pleasing Him in a certain area.

So, what are the symptoms of eyes that need checked when it comes to how we look at ourselves?

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but you get the idea - these are things I've struggled with or God brought to mind during this study.

* I'm not good enough. I have often found myself believing that I failed at something (s) during the day because I didn't do enough. Maybe I only read three books, but said no to number 4, and later felt like a bad mom.

* I'm not as good at _________ as _________ is. You can easily fill in the blanks with a number of things that you see others do that you can't do as well. God doesn't ask me to do things the way others do, He asks me to be the me He created.

* Thinking to myself that I'm nothing special or great. Consistently feeling not good enough or like a failure.

Conversely, each of these things mentioned could be taken to the other extreme where thinking too highly of ourselves and wallowing in pride can cause our vision to blur in the way He wants us to see.

When we think of making an appointment for an eye exam - it stand to reason that we either have a symptom (or symptoms) that we are concerned about or we are proactively seeking an exam just to make sure we're taking good care of our eyes.

I haven't been to the eye doctor in several years - but when I sat at a computer working full time at a desk - I was noticing some fuzziness and difficulty reading signs. These symptoms prompted me to get my eyes checked.

The same can be true for our spiritual vision. We might notice recurring concerns and know we'll need care and correction for healing to take place.

We've often heard the idea that recognizing or admitting we need an outside source of help or advice is the first step in the healing or correction. Same here. We must recognize and admit our need.

Do you have symptoms of needing a spiritual eye exam? Ask Him to search your heart and show you anything that is not from Him.

5 comments:

One Pretty Little Box said...

This was a BEAUTIFUL post! thank you for sharing!

Dana M said...

Thank you for this post, Monica - it was exactly what I needed to hear, today! ♥

Ellie said...

THANK YOU for this Monica! Did anyone ever tell you that you are one smart cookie? I really appreciate these words today!

Raising Four 4 Him said...

What a timely post. Yesterday I did have to take my little girl (3 years old) to the eye doctor. I have been noticing, the last couple of weeks, that if she is looking straight ahead and rolls her eyes up, one eye goes up farther than the other. You can see more white under the left than the right eye. Well, we went and the eye doctor said he saw it too. He looked into her eyes, without dialating them, and said he didn't see anything, but he wanted to send her on to a pediatric opthalmologist, for another opinion. He called it exophthalmos, and said it could be just her anatomy, or there could be something behind the eye causing it to protrude. After I got back home, and looked up what exophthalmos was, it said that it can also be caused by trauma, I realized that I had forgotten about her falling in the tub back in August (I had posted about it on my blog - www.raisingthree4him.blogspot.com back in August.) She took a very hard blow to that eye. I am asking you all to pray that when I take her to the pediatric opthalmologist that everything is fine. That it is either just how she is made, or that at worst it is caused from where she hit her eye in the tub and no further treatment be neccessary. Thank you so much for your prayers!!!!!

Anonymous said...

I came to SEE what you wrote today. It is funny that I woke up and put a bandaid across my hand ,to reminder me to speak and think "healing words". (It was and idea from one of my sons schooling manuals for a memory verse we had.) I need to wear this daily to remind me How I should speak to myself. Your post blesses me in agreement with this hope. I find it very interseting that an amazing woman like yourself would feel and think these same things that I have for years. I am touched and encouraged by your sharing, Thank you. I am focused on this eye exam and it is pointing to Christ's healing touch thru truth.. I need it for the sake of my family and my inner self. My spirit cries out for God's peace to live in me. luv and friendship, Angelia in TX