“We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen….We live by faith, not by sight.” (II Corinthians 4 and 5) These statements are the bedrock of our lives as Christians. We claim that we fix our eyes on the eternal, on the “unseen”. But do we, really?
As Christian women, don’t we often have the tendency to view things from a humanistic point of view? When was the last time you recognized that it might have been an angel helping you in a time of distress? Did you know it was the forces of Satan that led you into that compromise with sin? How much do you consider heaven in your daily life? And does the certainty of hell motivate you to warn others? Do you see your prayers as being presented as “golden bowls of incense” in the heavenly realms? Are you acknowledging the Holy Spirit’s presence in your life to strengthen and comfort you?
These are some of the topics included in Erica Kim’s book, Open My Eyes, Lord, published by DPI. This book certainly opened MY eyes to see things from a more spiritual point of view. As I read Erica’s words (always reinforced by scripture), I considered all the ways that my own conversations with other women must be focused on the realities of the invisible. A sister struggling to overcome temptation can be reminded of Satan’s insidious lies. A mother sending her child to school can be encouraged by the true presence of angels surrounding her little one. The death of a disciple, although tragic, can be met with joy and hope because of the sure existence of heaven. Reading this book, I often paused to take a deep breath, close my eyes, and simply soak in the depths of God’s spiritual truths. Because I (and I think, many others) often feel more comfortable talking about the things I can see and touch, I was grateful to be awakened by Erica’s anecdotes and personal experiences, reinforcing the power of the invisible world around us.
As disciples of Jesus, it is important to remember that Jesus Christ himself spoke of angels, of demons, of heaven and hell in a straightforward, matter-of-fact manner. He could see clearly the spiritual world, and he worked hard to communicate the presence of things unseen to those he taught. In our ultra-modern 21st century thought, we must take off our blinders and see the things that Jesus urges us to see.
If you are a Christian woman who is seeking to grow and to truly see God working in your life, I suggest you sit down with this book (and a pen for underlining!) and take in the truths that Erica shares with us. To quote her own words, “Searching for the truth will simply help us to see the world from God’s broad and extensive point of view rather than from our limited and narrow viewpoint.” I can assure you that Open My Eyes, Lord will open your eyes to see things you never saw before, and your life will be changed in the process!
