Things We Cannot See

“So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” 2 Corinthians 4:18

I just sat and stared at the verse for a long time. I had to read the part that says, “we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen” over and over again. The questions came. How is it possible to stare at something you can’t even look at? What kind of faith does it take to do such a thing? Paul lists two choices of things to fix our gaze on: the troubles we can see now, or the things that cannot be seen. 

The key is focus. When you fix your gaze on something, you focus not only your eyes, but your attention on it. When you focus on something, your attention becomes singular. When you look at troubles — illness, loss of income, the economy, what you don’t have instead of what you do have — your attention becomes singular. You begin to feel anxious, fearful, or depressed. The things you have no control over begin to have control over you. But if you will fix your gaze on things that cannot be seen—hope, peace, forgiveness, God’s great love and mercy, His eternal presence — the things of this world will become, well, strangely dim.

Your circumstances may not change, but you will find that your ability to navigate them will significantly improve. The things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. God will never leave you. He will never forsake you. His presence will go before you. His love will surround you. His grace will empower you. When trouble rears its ugly head, make it a point to fix your gaze on things that cannot be seen.