Seeing More Clearly

Recently, I had lunch with a young man I used to work with. It had been quite some time since we last spoken, and when we parted ways years earlier, it wasn’t under the best circumstances. We had reached a point where we had to "agree to disagree" on some decisions I had made as his boss—decisions he didn’t quite understand.  As difficult as it was to witness his disappointment, I couldn’t share more with him due to confidentiality, which he unfortunately took personally.

When we reconnected over lunch recently, he said something that really caught me off guard, saying… “After we parted ways, I started to see things differently. In fact, some of the same tough decisions you had to make when I worked with you, I’ve recently had to face with my own staff.” He finished by saying, “Now, I better understand where you were coming from.”

Whether it's with our children, employees, family or even God, there are times when we won’t be able to fully understand their perspective. And because we often trust our own opinions more than others, we can quickly jump to conclusions that may not be completely accurate. The truth is, sometimes—like with my friend—it’s only time that can bring clarity and understanding, provided they are open to it.

If we go through life seeing everything only from our own point of view, we’ll inevitably misunderstand the decisions and choices made by our others and especially God.

In 2 Kings 6, we read about the armies of Aram surrounding the city of Dothan in an attempt to capture the prophet, Elisha. When his servant saw this vast army approaching, he panicked and said to Elisha in verse 15, “Oh no, my Lord! What shall we do?” All he could see was the problem, the danger, and the threat of being captured—or worse. In response, Elisha didn’t entertain his servant’s fears. Instead, he simply prayed in verse 17, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” And with that prayer, it says that, “The Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” God revealed to the servant Elisha’s point of view and suddenly that changed everything!

Whenever you find yourself in a situation where you don’t see eye to eye with someone, try praying this: “Lord, if I am in the wrong, open my eyes to see the truth, and I ask that you would do the same for them.” This humble approach guards us against the pride and arrogance that can lead us to believe we are always in the right.

Question:  How often do you pray and ask God to see a situation from another point of view?

Have a wonderful week and we’ll see you Sunday!