Double Vision
Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).
Prolonged double vision is an unpleasant experience. It disturbs your balance, makes simple movements difficult, and significantly reduces your ability to operate normally. This physical abnormality gives us a vivid insight into what happens if we suffer from spiritual double vision. In simple terms, it is looking at two things at once. In the physical world, we realise straight away that this is a significant problem. In my case, I had to wear a patch over my right eye to ensure I could see properly out of my left eye and keep my balance. But this is not what happens spiritually. So often we persuade ourselves that we can live in fellowship with God whilst being conformed to the world which is at enmity with God. This is not a new phenomenon. Gideon clearly illustrates this. In his day, the people of God suffered terribly at the hands of the Midianites. They prayed to the Lord for deliverance. When God called Gideon, the first thing he did was to destroy the idols in his own city. The people appealed to God for help, at the same time continuing to worship idols. After the people of God returned from exile in Babylon, they did not return to worshipping idols like Baal. But gradually other idols appeared: materialism and self-righteousness. What compounds the problem of spiritual double vison is double-mindedness. The Lord highlights the folly of this: “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon”(Matthew 6:24).
Being double-minded makes us unstable: “a double-minded man isunstable in all his ways” (James 1:8). The reason for being double-minded is a lack of faith (v. 6). James appeals to the double-minded: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8) and instructs them to confront the unholiness of their lives. By “Looking unto Jesus” we learn what we are and who He is. James saw the remedy for failure and disobedience and the power for Christian living as coming into the presence of God. In the Lord’s presence, I learn to love by seeing His love. I learn compassion by seeing His compassion. I learn obedience by seeing His obedience. For our lives to be in balance with the mind and will of God we must come to Him:
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye” (Psalm 32:8).
Once we make Christ the single object of our faith, every aspect of our lives comes into focus. “Looking unto Jesus” is not a vague thing. It brings clarity and purpose to our daily living. The Lord leads us in “paths of righteousness” and protects us.
This spiritual clarity also brings the constant challenge of faith and action. Single vision is about seeing clearly what God wants us to do, and doing it. True discipleship is about daily steps of faith. I remember once walking up a steep path with an older sister who was a great help in my life. She said, “Gordon, always take small steps when you are going uphill.” She was giving me practical advice about conserving energy, but she taught me an important spiritual lesson I have never forgotten. By looking each day into the face of Jesus Christ, I am empowered to take those critical, small steps of faith and, in doing so, know that God will prepare me for the big ones.
