Are We Nearsighted or Farsighted? (4)

Our Worldview, and How We View Life Is So Very Important

If we are nearsighted, almost all we can see is what is right in front of our nose, and it can’t always be good in this life.

It is said: “Life is just one damn thing after another, and then you die.”

Life Has 4 Basic Parts to It

Life has four very general parts to it: (1) birth, (2) times of joy and happiness, (3) times of sadness and sorrow, and (4) death.

Our worldview can be very shallow, introspective, even narcissistic.

If we are farsighted, we include God, and his worldview in our agenda. Paul says we keep one eye on heaven (Col 3:2). He says, “In everything give thanks.” This is living life in an attitude of gratitude, thanksgiving, and even worship — even if life’s happenings don’t go as we desire.

Notice he said IN everything, not FOR everything. We are not thankful for the bad times in our lives. But we can be thankful in them, even if we hate them. We know ‘bad things happen to good people.’ We know we can’t control all the things that impact our lives, either good or bad.

If we are nearsighted, we see death as the end. In some ways it is: it’s the end of life on spaceship earth. The gospel says it’s more of a beginning. If we have one eye on heaven and are farsighted, we know this is true.

If we have our nearsighted glasses on, we often see this world as being out of control, and we lose faith and trust in God’s faithfulness. We don’t even view him as being ‘up there somewhere.’ We don’t even see him as ‘the big guy in the sky.’ (This isn’t sacrilegious but realistic). We grumble and complain, losing sight of God: “He didn’t answer my prayers.”

But when we wear God’s farsighted glasses, we don’t just view this world in our nearsighted ways. We enter into his grace and love. It saturates us more. We know God sees a much bigger picture after this life. We just must position ourselves to see it.

The gospel does this for us. We know not a sparrow falls without his knowledge (Mat 10:29).

The Old Testament Is Often Redundant

Notice how many times a phrase is repeated in the Old Testament: “So-and-so lived so many years, had sons and daughters, and died.” “So-and-so lived so many years, had sons and daughters, and died.” “So-and-so lived so many years, had sons and daughters, and died.” It speaks to there being more to life than this. Life is a temporary assignment, and more of a testing ground. We’re told God even planned the deaths of Moses and his brother.

We’re told our death is very PRECIOUS to God (Ps 116:15).

Gratitude, thanksgiving, praise and worship should be our response. But it can only be our response if we have farsighted glasses on. The Gospel is what allows us to wear God’s farsighted glasses.

The Gospel Is God’s Reality: His Gift to Us

If God’s whole desire is to bless and benefit us with all things, as the last episode spoke of, how can he want less for us after this brief life? The gospel promises it to us. And we’re told God cannot lie. All we can do is choose to believe him or not believe him. It’s our biggest choice. If we choose to live in unity with him here, we experience unity later.

With nearsighted vision we view death as punishment or a reprimand. If we’re farsighted, we see death as a type of reward and a blessing. Life tries to keep us from seeing the glory Christ brought us (II Cor 4:4).

We All Want Happiness: “Lord, Give Me A Better Life”

Many come to God hoping to find more happiness in life. But happiness is dependent on happenings. We can’t control life and people enough to always make us happy. I’d change ‘happiness in life’ to ‘joy in God.’ When we find joy in God we usually find more happiness in life. This includes our view death. The more joy in God, the less fear or apprehension of death. “Fear has torment. But God’s perfect love casts out all fear.” With God’s farsighted glasses we have faith and confidence in death.

Too often, we’re too busy trying to change life, and change other people. Both of these can often be futile, and often even psychological suicide. If this is our thinking, we don’t give God much room to get hold of us. God wants to change our vision of life, all for our benefit and blessing. Paul says, “The goodness of God is what draws us to repentance.” Repenting of wrong beliefs brings a more glorified vision of life. God’s love impacts us just like folks knowing our love impacts them.

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