Ephesians 1:18-22: "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way."
Certainly, you’ve heard the idiom, “through rose colored glasses” … The idea that a person views things with too much positivity, too much optimism, and fails to see things as they are. It’s okay to be a “Positive Percy” (as opposed to a Negative Nancy), but there is a fault in being too optimistic/positive. For one can walk into danger unbeknownst to themselves, let their guard down toward someone with ill-intent and end up getting hurt, not seeing things as they truly are, but as they hoped they would be. However, rose colored glasses are not the only ones we tend to view the world through with detriment to ourselves. There are many different shades and colors of glasses we put on that cause a downfall. Sin stained, past ridden, mistake marred, and problem perceived glasses to name a few. This can cause all sorts of issues when we try to live intentionally in our marriages, parent our children, honor our parents (even in adult years), be a grandparent, and serve as a sibling in the sight of our Savior. We all tend to put a pair of glasses on from time to time. Especially in the areas of marriage and parenting, we bring our past to the table.
In our marriages for example, the way that we resolve conflict – or attempt to resolve conflict, the way that we forgive and apologize – or fail to forgive and apologize, the way we show compassion and affection – or when we don’t, are often all affected by what we witnessed growing up. If we had parents that knew how to fight in front of us, but never said sorry, apologized or made-up in front of us, then chances are, we are going to have a harder time doing that in our own marriages. Likewise, in our parenting. If we were scolded and disciplined as children, but never received compassion or an apology from our parents when they went overboard, you’ll have a harder time in your own parenting. Add absent parents, divorce, multiple sets of parents, conflicting examples of marriage, and the other familial shrapnel to the equation, and those glasses only become dimmer and foggier. Naturally, because we are sinful human beings, we view our present through the sin-stained glasses of the past, and it’s especially apparent in the area of family.
“But God”, through the saving work of Christ on the cross, offers us the option to remove the sin-stained glasses of the past, and view all areas of our lives through a clear illuminated lens. With Christ at the center of our marriages, as the backbone of our parenting, and as the purpose of our lives, we view things as they ought to be seen in the colorful kaleidoscope of hope to which you have been called. Then our hearts can be opened through trusting the work of Christ, enlightened and illuminated, we can redeem what has been missing in our marriages and families. If you’ve struggled to see beyond the lenses of your past, if you’ve found yourself trapped in the cycle you’ve landed in, take heart. The war has been won, the chains have been broken, and you can then view the world through the vibrant glasses of eternity.
Certainly, you’ve heard the idiom, “through rose colored glasses” … The idea that a person views things with too much positivity, too much optimism, and fails to see things as they are. It’s okay to be a “Positive Percy” (as opposed to a Negative Nancy), but there is a fault in being too optimistic/positive. For one can walk into danger unbeknownst to themselves, let their guard down toward someone with ill-intent and end up getting hurt, not seeing things as they truly are, but as they hoped they would be. However, rose colored glasses are not the only ones we tend to view the world through with detriment to ourselves. There are many different shades and colors of glasses we put on that cause a downfall. Sin stained, past ridden, mistake marred, and problem perceived glasses to name a few. This can cause all sorts of issues when we try to live intentionally in our marriages, parent our children, honor our parents (even in adult years), be a grandparent, and serve as a sibling in the sight of our Savior. We all tend to put a pair of glasses on from time to time. Especially in the areas of marriage and parenting, we bring our past to the table.
In our marriages for example, the way that we resolve conflict – or attempt to resolve conflict, the way that we forgive and apologize – or fail to forgive and apologize, the way we show compassion and affection – or when we don’t, are often all affected by what we witnessed growing up. If we had parents that knew how to fight in front of us, but never said sorry, apologized or made-up in front of us, then chances are, we are going to have a harder time doing that in our own marriages. Likewise, in our parenting. If we were scolded and disciplined as children, but never received compassion or an apology from our parents when they went overboard, you’ll have a harder time in your own parenting. Add absent parents, divorce, multiple sets of parents, conflicting examples of marriage, and the other familial shrapnel to the equation, and those glasses only become dimmer and foggier. Naturally, because we are sinful human beings, we view our present through the sin-stained glasses of the past, and it’s especially apparent in the area of family.
“But God”, through the saving work of Christ on the cross, offers us the option to remove the sin-stained glasses of the past, and view all areas of our lives through a clear illuminated lens. With Christ at the center of our marriages, as the backbone of our parenting, and as the purpose of our lives, we view things as they ought to be seen in the colorful kaleidoscope of hope to which you have been called. Then our hearts can be opened through trusting the work of Christ, enlightened and illuminated, we can redeem what has been missing in our marriages and families. If you’ve struggled to see beyond the lenses of your past, if you’ve found yourself trapped in the cycle you’ve landed in, take heart. The war has been won, the chains have been broken, and you can then view the world through the vibrant glasses of eternity.