We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:18)
A hiker walked a lonely path in a driving rainstorm. Around him were magnificent mountains and lush valleys, but he couldn’t see the scene. The clouds were too dense and the rain too relentless. It was slow going, and all the hiker could go by were his map and compass. He certainly couldn’t walk by sight.
Meanwhile, an airplane passed overhead. From six miles up, a traveler in a window seat could see a gorgeous vista. There was a small cloud down below, but it didn’t cover much territory and certainly didn’t mar the scene. In fact, it accented the landscape’s color and form. It was a beautiful sight.
That’s a picture of life as we live it. The clouds are dense and the rain is relentless. Sometimes we can only see a few feet in front of us, and though the next step may be visible, it may not be right. If we don’t have a map and a compass with us, we have no idea where our path is taking us. Our inclination is to sit down in frustration and confusion, wondering why we started this hike to begin with. The last thing on our mind is enjoying the scene.
An essential key to the joyful Christian life is perspective. People who are able to fix their eyes on the unseen, as Paul instructs, are able to weather the storms at ground level. If we can know that the landscape is gorgeous and that the rain will pass, we can enjoy the process and look forward to the view from above. If not, we will suffer miserably.
We lose our focus, fixing our eyes on what is seen and neglecting what is unseen. We become absorbed in “now” and oblivious to “forever,” and our hearts suffer from the wounds. We easily give up hope.
There are plenty of wounded hearts in this world, and they need someone to give them the view from six miles up. There really is a gorgeous landscape all around, and the cloud that envelops us really is temporary. It’s the difference between hope and despair — or, to be more specific, between life and death. Because a life without hope isn’t actually a life.
If you have a negative attitude, repent. A negative attitude is a refusal to believe those invisible truths. It’s an affront to the promise from above. When we turn to hope, we agree with heaven. There’s no better way to get through a dense fog. There’s no other way to live.
Tim Carlisle
