Fix Your Gaze

Have you ever been so close to something that you miss seeing it? It’s like when I can’t find my phone and it’s on the table in front of me. It’s there the whole time; I just don’t see it. 

In an interview with the New York Times, psychologist Christopher Chabris explained why this happens. “What we pay attention to is largely determined by our expectations of what should be present.” The term “inattentional blindness” explains that, when we aren’t paying attention, we will most likely miss it¹. 

The same can be said about how and when we hear God, and why we feel He’s grown distant when we need Him the most. Think about it. When we experience blessings, we know God orchestrated that miracle. But when something goes wrong, we become quick to question where God went and why it didn’t work out.

What if God was always there, always trying to grab our attention and speak to us, and we were blind to His presence?

Maybe it’s because, when we experience the blessings, we’re paying attention to God’s presence. We don’t miss God when we’re intentionally looking for Him. In other words, when we are in the midst of a blessing, God’s provision is so clear to us. He clearly heard our cries and answered our prayers exactly as we requested, if not in an even better way.

And conversely, when we’re going through suffering, God seems cruelly absent. But, what if we don’t see God because we aren’t looking for Him close enough? What if He’s right there the whole time, just like the phone on the table, and we’re simply blind to His presence? Maybe, when we endure hardship, we don’t think God would ever allow it. We assume He’s distant, simply because He didn’t come through with that answered prayer in the way we asked.

When we’re hurting, we so often fixate on our hurt rather than the Healer. And when we do this, we question why God is silent. We doubt the beliefs we once defended. Maybe we just need to adjust our admirations. Our problems can easily become an idol. The disappointments of what life should look like become a trap, convincing us that God’s not there and He didn’t hear our prayers. We get angry with God for not following our plan. We don’t think that His way could even possibly be better than our’s because we don’t give Him a chance.

One of my favorite Bible studies is called ‘Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament: He’s Never Absent, We’re Never Alone².” It’s true: even in Genesis, God was always pointing humanity to its Savior, Jesus Christ. What if, even today in our hurting and suffering, He’s still doing the same thing?

My story

One of the most healing strategies for me is writing. I can’t go to counseling without a list of the main things I want to process. I can’t teach without an agenda on the board. And I most definitely need my to-do list written out if I want to tackle anything during the day.

So, to declare finality over a previous hurt, I began writing a letter to someone to acknowledge the pain of their decisions. (To later burn…or at least trash the digital document.)  I wanted to declare the truth despite the lies I was fed. Strangely enough, I’ve done this exact prompt before and I didn’t know why I felt so compelled to do it again. But God knew. He had to show me something I hadn’t seen before.

It was in recounting the facts of what happened that I noticed something: God was visibly with me in all of it. He was always near to me. I had just missed Him because I wasn’t intentionally looking. He was right in front of me, guiding me through it all. For all the times I questioned God and doubted His ways, He was always speaking to me.

• In every moment of hurting, He was there comforting me. 

• In the moments when I questioned why my miracle hadn’t come, He was showing me that it was already there. It just wasn’t my perception of what a miracle would have looked like. 

• Before the disheartening truth came out, God warned me. 

• When I was at my lowest, God was giving me clarity. I just wasn’t willing (or ready) to receive it.

I knew it…but I didn’t always see it. I didn’t always attribute these connections to God. It can be easy to deem anything a “spiritual attack” if we don’t discern His voice carefully. But God…He was really working all things together for my good. In all of those unfortunately shocking “I can’t believe this happening in real life” moments, God was revealing what He was protecting me from specifically. In the moments I heard His voice, He was never wrong. He never let me down.

That letter I wrote was merely to help me come to terms with the past. But God knew I needed to do it, so I could see His footprints right beside mine (Psalm 34:18). He wanted me to see that He really was collecting my tears in His bottle (Psalm 56:8). He wanted me to see that He was taking me from the pit and setting my feet on the rock (Psalm 40:2). He wanted me to see that He has always been a God of clarity, even in the chaos (1 Cor 14:33). 

Truths for Today

Regardless of where we find ourselves in this season – in blessings or burnout – we can fix our eyes on God. When we do, we see His hand so much more clearly, even if we don’t understand. Even when we don’t get the answer we want.

This idea of focusing on God, regardless of our circumstances, is prevalent throughout Scripture. These are just some examples:

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."  
- Colossians 3:1-4

"I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth."
- Psalm 121:1-2

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding."
Proverbs 3:5

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." 
- Hebrews 12:1-2

Friend, If you’re walking through hardship, refocus your gaze. God is there. Pay attention. You don’t want to miss Him.

Reflection

Are you able to see God answering your prayers (even if it’s a “no”) in your daily life? Do you feel like God is near or distant? Why?

What practical steps can you take to draw closer to God and hear from Him more clearly this week?

Share your response in the comments below!

Resource

One of my creative outlets and passions is floral preservation. God has shown me that, as with flowers, beauty takes different forms in our different seasons. Whether we’re flourishing or flattened, we are still valuable. We can get pressed by our circumstances, but we can choose to press on in faith.

For this week only (September 3-10), I’m offering my subscribers a 20% off coupon to my Etsy shop, PressedNotCrushedCo. At checkout, enter the coupon code FIXYOURGAZE. In addition to your pressed flower gift, each order comes with a personalized letter of encouragement and a devotional. 

References

1  Murphy, H. (2017, October 16). Why we miss objects that are right in front of Us. The New York Times. Retrieved August 10, 2022, from https://nyti.ms/2xYBbek

2 “Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament” by Lysa TerKeurst and Dr. Joel Muddamale. 2022. https://www.p31bookstore.com/products/seeing-jesus-in-the-old-testament