This side of Heaven seeing God clearly is a struggle. We are often blinded by our own selfish desires, we seek counsel from all the wrong people, and the devil is always fighting to keep us in the dark. Wouldn’t it be great to know in 2020 we have the ability to see clearly what God has in store for us? Here are 4 things we can do to see clearly this whole year:
- We need to see God clearly. God isn’t some far away, made-up character who is unapproachable and scary. Scripture often refers to God as our Father. When we learn to see God clearly, we learn who we are in perspective to Him and how powerful He is. We learn to lean on Him, give Him our cares and concerns, and we learn that we can run to God, not away from Him, when we fail, sin, or mess up. When we see God clearly, we do not have to be afraid or fearful this year. We understand how loved and cherished we are and begin to live in that manner. Reading God’s Word, gathering with other believers, and prayer are ways to help us see God more clearly. In Scripture, we learn who God is and how He works. When we gather with other believers we are reminded of the truths of God’s Word and we see how He is moving in the midst of other’s lives. Prayer brings us into alignment with God and His will for our lives.
- We need to see ourselves clearly. Romans 8:14 reminds us, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.” What a beautiful reminder that is that we are not who this world says we are. In fact, we are so much more than that. We are heirs to the Kingdom of God. We are cherished, loved, and chosen. We are secure in knowing we have new life because of Jesus Christ. Just the same as learning to see God clearly, we must remain true to reading Scripture and spend time interacting with our brothers and sisters in Christ. By doing these things we are constantly pouring into our own lives the truth and power of the Holy Spirit.
- We need to see others clearly. As we go throughout 2020, it is easy to often define people by their cover or what we see on the outside. We need to look at who God has placed before us and learn to seek wise counsel or coaching. Proverbs 13:20 says, “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.” When we walk with wise people, we learn to work smarter and see things we often wouldn’t see on our own. We also need to see people God is placing beside us. Who has God placed in your life for you to love more, honor, accept, encourage, and comfort? Whom can you serve, forgive, and pray for? Whom also can we invest in and lead? Better stated, who is your Paul (the one pouring into you) and who is your Timothy (the ones you are pouring in to?) When we open our eyes and become aware of those around us, we learn to see who God has in our lives and how we can clearly view them.
- We need to see opportunities clearly. Many opportunities will present themselves this year, but not all of them will be a chance to do good. We need to seek out opportunities to do good and tell others about Jesus. We can do this by being ready, but we can’t be ready if we don’t have margin in our lives. Creating margin creates space to notice opportunities when they come our way. We also have to be flexible and have faith when seeking opportunities.
Learning to see God, ourselves, others, and opportunities clearly can provide endless possibilities in 2020. Rather than walking blindly into the unknown, let’s prepare our hearts and minds to see clearly for when our future becomes our present. Let’s walk by the Spirit asking for God’s help to be alert, clear-minded, and ready for this year.
