The Power of Perception

The Power of Perception

“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" – Matthew 6:23-24

Jesus said that that the eye is the lamp of the body.

Jesus said our eyes are like lamps or lanterns, something that gives light. I would have thought that he would compared eyes to windows, something through which we view the world around us.

Using the word “lamp” is very strong because he is saying that we literally cast our own light or perception on things around us. We are not only taking in what we see, we are also shaping our perception of the reality of what we see. 

So we can say, if your perception are healthy, your life will be full of light. But if your perception is unhealthy, your life will be full of darkness

We don’t actually change things by how to see it, but learn to respond to things by how we see it. There things in life that we can and cannot control. Our perception and reaction is one of the things we can control.

Perception is powerful and we sometimes see the same things differently

There things in life that we can and cannot control. Our perception and reaction are two things we can control. 

We all know what it is like to be around people who are always negative, or find something wrong with everything and everyone. It’s like the sun got covered by clouds, or like someone turned out all the light in the room. 

Stephen Covey, the author of the Habits of Successful people wrote, “We do not see the world as the world is. We see the world as we are.” 

(Ryan Holiday, the author of The Obstacle is the Way, wrote, ”Perception is how we see and understand what occurs around us—and what we decide those events will mean. Our perceptions can be a source of strength or of great weakness. Faulty perceptions lead to misdirection & disconnection. We participate in creation and destruction of our obstacles. So what are your perceptions today?"

We want to have "healthy eyes," which is seeing things as they are and through the Word of God. Bad perception taints our world and our reality. As Jesus said, when your eyes are healthy, your whole body (life) is full of light. On the other hand, when you eyes are unhealthy, your body is full of darkness.

One key to healthy perception is to be objective: 

Definition: not influenced by personal feelings, interpretations, or prejudice; based on facts; unbiased. Intent upon or dealing with things external to the mind rather than with thoughts or feelings, as a person or a book.

Unhealthy perception often comes from being subjective:

Based on feelings or opinions rather than facts; Pacing emphasis on one's own feeling, mood, attitude, and opinions.

In a scene from Remember the Titans, Coach Bill Yoast and Coach Herman Boone show their objective and subjective perceptions based on each one knowledge and life experience. 

To survive and thrive in life, you sometimes have to focus on things that cannot be seen. This is where knowing the Lord, knowing the Bible, and having the power of the Holy Spirit in your life makes all the difference.

Moses endured by seeing Him who is Unseen. Hebrews 11:27, By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen.

Jesus said that Faith in God can move mountains. Your mountains are obstacles that must first be moved in your mind before they are moved in your life and cirsumstances.

Mark 11:22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

Noah had to do it,  Heb 11:7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

Abraham had to do it,  Heb 11:8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 10 for he looked for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.