For the past seven years, I’ve had the opportunity to volunteer through my company’s philanthropic efforts at community vision screenings around Cincinnati. Our teams visit various schools around the city and check elementary children’s eyesight to determine if they need glasses. It’s a wonderful day spent away from my desk. Instead of writing, I’m helping to potentially give the gift of sight to a young child.

When each child walks through the door, we take the exam sheet and explain the vision screening test we’re about to do with them. They cover one eye and read the letters on the eye chart we point to. We record the score and repeat the process on the other eye.

Each child varies in what he or she can see — some read the letters without a single mistake; others pause and question if what they saw was correct. And some, unfortunately, have such a difficult time seeing the letters that they simply give up, and we move along to the next portion of the screening.

We know that the Lord is responsible for our ability to see (Exodus 4:11), but it’s up to us to ensure our glasses stay clean, so to speak. The distractions of life can cause our vision to become blurry — something the Lord doesn’t want for us. It is our responsibility to stay focused on Him and His wonderful ways.

The Lord has perfect 20/20 vision. He sees our every step (Job 34:21), and our gaze should always be upon Him (Psalm 27:4). We should ask Him to open our eyes (Psalm 119:18) and remember that whatever we cast our eyes upon, He will remember (Ecclesiastes 11:9).

May our eyes be opened — always — so we can recognize the Lord in our life (Luke 24:31). May we be like the blind man who was made to see, his sight completely restored (Mark 8:25). And, most importantly, may we remember to put Him first. For, though we may see clearly, we still have no idea what God has prepared for us (1 Corinthians 2:9) — blessings upon blessings upon blessings if we set our sight on Him.

And so, perhaps you need your vision checked. Maybe you need new lenses in your glasses or a new prescription to see a bit better. Whichever it is, the Lord wants us to see the eye chart (a.k.a. His gospel) without blemish or shadow.

“While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18)

This article has undergone ministry review and approval.