The gifts God gives us are ongoing. Every breath is a gift. Every bloom is a gift. Every person we encounter is a gift. Verse 12 says, “Ears to hear and eyes to see—both are gifts from the Lord.” Gifts from God are all around us. We are living in his creation, caretakers of all that he has made for us, given to us.
Have you ever thought about how you are using your eyes and ears being they are gifts from God? Do you take them for granted? Not everyone with eyes can see or ears can hear. Are we making the most of these gifts?
When you look at someone or something, what do you see? Do your eyes focus on the flaws or on the beauty? Of course, we’d all like to say we focus on the only the beauty but think about it for a moment. Don’t we notice the wrinkles in our dress, or the zit on our chin, or the litter on the street, or the weed infested lawn of our neighbor? I’m not trying to make you feel guilty–I’m right there with you. I think that’s why this verse spoke to me. I’d much rather focus on the positive things around me and find the beauty in all things. It takes some work.
There are a couple of worship songs that talk about seeing with God’s eyes. Two of my favorites are “Give Me Your Eyes” and “Jesus Friend of Sinners.” (You can listen by clicking the title.) If only we could see deeply inside a situation and truly understand what is happening and how we might help. If only we took the time to see where we could make a difference.
Just as important are our ears. What do we listen to? Gossip. Slander. Misfortune. What are we putting into our bodies in the form of messages we listen to? The internet is full of information, some true, some lies. How do we discern? Are we watching the news, believing everything we hear? What’s the source?
I remember as a little girl being warned by my parents, “Don’t believe everything you hear.” What does a message like that do? It elicits fear and doubt. Who can you trust after all? God. We can trust God. It’s pretty simple. Yet, we let the messages of the world infiltrate our good judgment way too often. How do we stop the madness?
Wisdom. It’s what this whole book of Proverbs is all about. God is the source of all wisdom. We need more of God in our lives to help us discern when we are going astray. We need to put our trust in the God, the only truth we can rely on.
Take some time today to focus on what you spend your time looking at and listening to. Is it helping you grow closer to God? Is it feeding your soul? Is it bringing a smile to your face or making you feel crummy inside? Our eyes and ears are gifts. Use them wisely.
Let’s pray … Lord, forgive me for filling my head with nonsense and information that is not helpful or uplifting. I long to spend more time in your presence learning wisdom and truth. Thank you for my eyes and ears. Help me to use them wisely, to see the needs of others so that I can act, to hear the pain of others so I can introduce them to you. May I be more mindful of all the gifts you have given me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
