What Do You See?

Anthony DeMello once saw a starving child shivering in the cold. Angrily he lifted his eyes to heaven and questioned, "God how could You allow such suffering? Why don't you do something?" There was a long silence and then DeMello was startled when he heard the voice of God answer him, "I certainly have done something-I made you."

'I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-fruit that will last.' (John15:16)

I MADE YOU. I CHOSE YOU. I APPOINTED YOU. What powerful truths these are. Friends, God has made all of us for a purpose.

Many a time we know that God has placed in us a higher calling, but there is a problem. Too often we think that this higher calling cannot be achieved 'today'. We think that our calling can only be achieved by endless tomorrows. We give excuses like, 'I'm not ready', 'I need to know some more' etc. Some of us feel that our higher calling is to start a church, some of us feel that we were appointed to be ministers, while others feel that we were made to impact the world through sports. Now there are many others, but I think you all would agree with me, that these callings can't be achieved just like that. It requires time and effort. The result? We who feel this way slacken now, we think that when it's time to heed the calling, it will come naturally, right now, just lay off.

Friends, this is wrong thinking. Yes, there is a higher calling for each one of us. But our lives don't only have one calling. I believe God has called each of us for many purposes. The fact is, your callings are all around you! Just like in the above story, DeMello's calling at that moment was to care for the child. DeMello probably had great dreams for himself, he probably knew what God had called him to do. And most likely it wasn't to take care of a child. So DeMello never saw himself as God's solution to the suffering child. But God saw differently. God had made DeMello for a great purpose, but along the way God put a suffering child along his path to teach him. Friends, in the same way, let us open our eyes and take a look around us. We will realize that wherever we are, there are callings for us anywhere, anytime. Perhaps it's the sick child, perhaps it's the homeless teenager, perhaps it's the depressed girl, or the thug around your neighbourhood, or maybe it's the quarreling family, maybe it could be the worried-looking person sitting next to you on the bus. Friends if only we would take a look around us, then will we realize the different purposes God has made us for. If we will open our eyes and see, we will realize what small differences we will make to this world. Yet small differences, when added up, become great testimonies for God.

Your higher calling is important, you must recognize it and persevere towards it. But until then, friends, do not be self-centered. Look around you, and you will find different purposes that God has called you for.

There was once a man who dared God to speak: Burn the bush like you did for Moses, God, and I will follow. Collapse the walls like you did for Joshua, God, and I will fight. Still the waves like you did on Galilee, God, and I will listen. And so the man sat by a bush, near a wall, close to the sea and waited for God to speak. And God heard the man, so God answered. He sent fire, not for a bush, but for a church. He brought down a wall, not of bricks, but of sin. He stilled a storm, not of the sea, but of a soul. And God waited for the man to respond. And He waited...and waited.
But because the man was looking at bushes, not hearts; bricks and not lives; seas and not souls, he decided that God had done nothing. Finally he turned to God and asked,Have you lost your power?

Friends do not be like this man. Many a time we see the situations around us, and we know we must do something, yet we do not. That's not for me, let someone else do it, we say. Friends it is important for us not to be blinded by our own feelings. Let us learn to look at things through the eyes of Jesus.

Why is it so important to look at things through the eyes of God? Let's look at Numbers13-14, which was when Moses sent 12 spies to explore the land of Canaan. This is the report 10 of them brought back: 'We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are'(13:31) and 'We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them'(13:33) These 10 spies obviously were not looking at the land of Canaan through the eyes of God. They had a defeated mentality. But look at the report of the other 2 spies, Caleb and Joshua: 'We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it'(13:30), 'The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.'(14:7-9) Caleb and Joshua both learned to look at their situations through the eyes of God. They had a victor's mentality. While the other spies saw giants, Caleb and Joshua saw themselves as 'giants in God'. And what was God's response? 'Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun'(14:30) The reward for a godly perspective was entry into God's promises.

One of the things I love to do among my peers is this. During service, I'll go to individuals and ask them to scan the service hall. I ask them to look at every face, and then I ask them this question, "What do you see?" I get all sorts of answers. Some are common, such as, "People", "Life" etc. But there are some interesting ones, such as, "Opportunities", "Testimonies", "Desperation" etc. When asked in return what I see, my favourite answer is, "Potential". Now get me right here. There is no right and wrong answer. The only thing is, friends, we have to always look at things through the eyes of God.

When we see hopelessness, God sees revival.
When we see people, God sees opportunities.
When we see incapability, God sees potential.
When we see crisis, God sees testimony.

Friend, what do you see today?


I want to let Jesus love me
Put his arms around me
Touch my eyes so I can see
That I am beautiful

I want to let Jesus love me
Put his arms around me
Lift me high so I can see
The beauty of the Lord