Ephesians 1:17-19a—I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. I pray also 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 the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe.
Last week, I came home one night with a sour attitude. I suspect I was not alone. What was unusual about this occasion was that I actually contemplated what had put me in such a funk. Actually, the answer was quite simple. A very negative person cornered me and orally festered in the presence of others for thirty minutes venom towards a coworker he despised. I could not get away fast enough. In truth, I was infected. My cheery spirit was trampled by a bitter person’s slander. I thought of how one bad apple can ruin a barrel of good apples. That analogy made good sense.
The next morning this same individual spotted me and said to a colleague, “We make a good team. Major York sees the good in people and I see the bad.” He then extended his hand to me perhaps to make amends for the previous evening or to justify the verbal pounding he gave a coworker.
The behavior we model each day matters. What we say and do broadcasts loud and clear our vision of God and what place He plays in our lives. If we will set our eyes on Jesus, He will use us to pick up those who are confused or discouraged. We will find kindness in ourselves we didn’t know existed. We will defuse meanness with good and disarm malice with gentleness. If we will set our eyes on Jesus, we will radiate warmth in a season fraught with despair. Jesus could become for us a lowly baby in a stinking trough because He kept His eyes on His Father. If He could become a baby surely He can lead us to become adults. If He could inspire by holiness can we not acquire by righteousness? We serve an awesome God. Let our vision reflect this. Let our passion to know Him and make Him known be tested and proven genuine on the plain on which others live. To do anything less will render us uncivilized. Where there is no vision the . . .
Inspiration
