SPIRITUAL SIGHT

FOR THE SPIRITUALLY BLIND

Are your prayers a bit self righteous at times? Do they sound something like this?

"Oh God, I thank you I am not like others; evil, adulterers, fornicators, drunkards, murderers. Lord you know I pay a double tithe. I don't smoke. I don't drink. Lord, I'm even a __________ (place your denomination here)"

Cataracts

If that's your prayer, then you need some eye surgery. The other day I watched cataract surgery on a 69-year-old woman. Cataracts block out the world all around us. They take away our ability to see others. Like subtle sins, they start out quite small. But this one had been going on for quite some time. It was the largest I'd ever seen.

Under the knife

As the cataract progresses, the person becomes blind. When the surgeon performed the removal of the cataract, it reminded me of God removing self from within us. When the eye surgeon cut out, broke up, and suctioned out the cataract, it reminded me of God getting rid of our selfishness/sin. When he put the artificial lens back in the eye, the eye no longer looked ugly and grotesque, but pretty and ready for service.

We all need God to perform spiritual eye surgery on us. Let me describe the process. Take a piece of paper. Now print in large letters P-R-I-D-E. Take a pair of scissors now and cut the letter- 'I' out of PRIDE. Now tape the remaining letters together. What does it spell? PRDE? Let me put it another way. It does spell PRDE, yes. But sound it out. It sounds like 'purdey' or PRETTY, doesn't it? Okay, perhaps spell-check wouldn't agree with that one. But it works for me.

God wants to perform spiritual I surgery on each of us. He wants to cut out the 'I' in PRIDE. God doesn't want us to have a trace of self, left. He doesn't want us boastful and full of arrogance. He wants us to be pretty, beautiful, and gracious in our mannerisms and in the way we think about, and treat others.

God wants us to be more caring of those around us. We sometimes misunderstand them. They're God's children too. With His kind of 'I' surgery we will see others for who they really are. They're God's creatures too. Can't you hear them as they pray, "Lord forgive me one more time. I know I have sinned."

God hears. And He will forgive. Shouldn't we, do the same?

Get rid of the pride in your life. Ask God to remove self-centeredness from your lifestyle; for when we concentrate only on ourselves, opportunities to help others slip silently away. Don't be self righteous. Give your SELF to God.

Learn more about this author, Ronnie Reese.
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