I have an important question to ask you, today: What do you see?
One of my favorite stories in the Bible comes out of Acts 3. A lame man was begging on the street, and Peter and John walk by. Verse 5 says the man “looked up, expecting to get something from them.”
Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. (Acts 3:6-8)
What I love about this story is the fact that the man was looking up, expecting to receive something. And although he was expecting to receive money, he received something much more powerful. This is how we need to live. We need to look up, every day, expecting to receive something from God.
You might have a need in your life, maybe something is broken, or an area of your life is diseased, dysfunctional. Jesus is ready to heal it. He is ready to fix it. He is ready to provide. Jesus will take anybody in any condition, just like this lame man in Acts 3. Whatever you bring to Jesus, He heals. But it starts with us looking up and expecting to receive something from Him!
What are you struggling with today? What is out of order? What is damaged? What is missing?
I want to challenge you today. Don’t settle for the way things are! God is ready to bring total transformation, complete healing, and extreme deliverance. His mercy and grace are readily available to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16). And your miracle, your transformation is contingent on one thing: what you see. Here are three things to see that will bring every breakthrough in every area of your life:
- See problems as possibilities.
During WWII, one of the great generals, General Creighton Abrams, and his men were surrounded by the enemy on every side. Upon realizing they were surrounded, Abrams looked at his men and said, “Gentlemen, we are now in a position to attack the enemy from every direction.”
This is seeing things from God’s perspective. This is seeing a problem as a possibility. If a military general can see life this way, how much more should we—children of God—see life this way?
- See people not as problems to solve, but people to enjoy.
In Philippians 1:3, Paul writes to the church of Philippi, “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.” I love this verse because the church of Philippi wasn’t perfect. It’s safe to assume that they did some things that weren’t worth “thanking God for”. Yet, Paul brilliantly demonstrates how we should see people — not as problems to solve, but people to enjoy.
This is how God looks at people. God sees people based on what they believe, not what they do. And when we follow this example, seeing every person in our lives as someone to enjoy rather than some to fix, we are going to experience boundless joy, limitless freedom, and undisturbed peace.
- See your present condition through the eyes of faith.
For we walk by faith and not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)
No matter what your present condition looks like, believe this: it is subject to change!
While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen. (2 Corinthians 4:18)
What is seen: your sickness, your unsaved loved ones, or a bad financial situation. (Temporary)
What is not seen: the fulfillment of God’s promise. (Eternal)
So here’s what you need to do.
Subject the thing that is subject to change (YOUR PRESENT CONDITION) to the thing that is not subject to change (GOD’S PROMISES). It will change.
Believe it.
See it.
I break this down more in my recent message, What Do You See?, which you can download for FREE by clicking here.
