Your Internal Glasses June 13, 2009

Pastor's Corner

 

Your Internal Glasses    June 13, 2009

 

 

Dear Friend,

 

The other day I was wearing my Guam sunglasses. Now, these are some pretty special glasses. I bought them at a gas station in Guam for $4, and they are the darkest sunglasses I have every found. If I'm working outside with metal, or where there will be a lot of reflection, they really cut the glare. I have some other sunglasses as well, and each one has a different level of tint, and even color. Some put a greenish hue on everything, and some have a more brownish green. I've seen some sunglasses that put a pink hue on what you looking at, and there's even some that are supposed to be great driving glasses that are yellow. It's amazing how when one puts on those special glasses how everything is changed. Cars, trees, water, they're still the same, but what's different is the way the person is seeing them. We even have a saying that goes something like this: "He sees everything through rose colored glasses," meaning that person sees things in a rosy or pleasant way.

 

Wearing my Guam sunglasses made me think of the "internal" glasses that each one of us wears. You might not be aware of it, but each of us looks at everything in life through internal lenses. A few of the bad lenses are doubt, negativity, anger, and self centeredness. Have you noticed those people? Some people seem to see everything in a negative light. They think everyone hates them. Nothing goes well for them. The person at the grocery store tried to cheat them out of 9 cents. "She doesn't like me, I just know it." Even if the whole day is perfect, they will dwell on the one incident where they thought someone was rude to them, and it has ruined the whole day for them. (For a great example of this in the Bible, read Esther 5:9-11, and study the context to get the whole story.) These are the people who, when given a cup that is half full, will complain that half of their content is missing, and whine about who took it, and just why do they have to go through life with a cup that is partially empty?

 

Then there are those who seem to wear a different set of glasses, those who are positive, happy, dwell on the bright side of things, and see everything in a good light. They think positive of everyone, and seem to be eternally optimistic. If given a cup that is half full they are ecstatic and feel doubly blessed, first because they have a cup at all, and second that it has something in it.

 

Did you know you can change your internal glasses? Think of the positive. Be thankful. Find the little things to be happy about. Don't talk doubt, unbelief, and error. "Unbelief strengthens as it is encouraged; and if men, instead of dwelling upon the evidences which God has given to sustain their faith, permit themselves to question and cavil, they will find their doubts constantly becoming more confirmed." Be a songbird, spending your time cheering everyone within your reach, and praising God rather than a vulture, constantly looking for some foul meal to feed upon. Put on the faith glasses!

 

Have a great week! We're praying for you!

 

Mark