Sabbath Devotional :: An Eye of Faith

eye of faith - Mormon Women for Ethical Government — Source: Bruno Henrique via Pixabay

Several years ago, during an especially difficult time of my life, I was reading in Alma 5 when a phrase from verse 15 jumped out at me:

Do you look forward with an eye of faith?

At that time in my life, “looking forward with an eye of faith” meant believing my current difficult situation was not permanent. It meant trusting that things could and would improve. It meant holding on to hope instead of yielding to despair. Asking myself that question reminded me to shift my focus from fear to faith.

In the years since, this question has come to my mind at different times, prompting reflection and acting as a guidepost of sorts. “Looking forward with an eye of faith” has meant different things for me at different times in my life. There have been times when it has meant finding the courage to take bold action; other times it has meant having the patience to be still and wait. The beauty of personal revelation is that we can each receive the unique, personalized guidance we need as the circumstances around us and situations we find ourselves in continue to change.

In the last few weeks, these questions have once again been at the forefront of my thoughts: Am I looking forward with an eye of faith? What does “looking forward with an eye of faith” mean for me right now in this moment? I believe these questions have valuable application for all of us. However, the answers to these questions will also be a bit different for each of us.

As I have been prayerfully contemplating these questions over the last few weeks, I have been writing down some of my own realizations. I share a few of them here with the hope that they may resonate with someone, but I encourage each of you to find your own personalized answers to these questions.

What does “looking forward with an eye of faith” mean for me right now?

It means believing God’s plan of redemption is real. It means trusting that he has already got it all covered — everything that has happened, is happening, or will happen. Everything from global issues to national issues to the details of my own life. None of it is a surprise to him. He knows the end from the beginning, and His plan of justice, mercy, and redemption allows for all of it.

It means believing God is in control and that he is all-powerful, all-wise, and all-loving. It means understanding that God’s plan is not contingent on what I do or what anyone else does. It means letting go of my fear that things will somehow be thrown off course by my own shortcomings and failures or by the wickedness and corruption of others.

This does not mean I adopt the attitude of not caring about what happens around me or that I give up on trying to make a difference in the world. It is not a passive attitude of “just leaving it to God” and taking myself out of the equation, but an active exercising of my faith — a deliberate and intentional choice to trust him and seek to know the work he would have me do.

Then I can offer what I have without the weight of feeling like it is all up to me. I can give my offering from a place of love instead of a place of fear or anxiety.

It means not only understanding that I cannot control everything, but also accepting and embracing my inability to control things. Do I think I could come up with a better plan than God?

Looking forward with an eye of faith means not forgetting to occasionally look back. It means remembering what he has done for others before me. It means remembering what he has done for me in the past and how he has helped me get to where I am. It means understanding that I “see through a glass darkly” (1 Corinthians 13:12). My vision is incredibly limited and distorted. But his is not.

It means expecting that if I am earnestly seeking to do God’s will, he will guide me. It means believing that even if my part seems insignificant and I feel like I am not enough, my part matters, and I am enough. It means trusting that I will be led and not worrying when my path looks different than someone else’s.

It means letting go of some things, like anxieties, comparisons, and fretting about the choices of others. It means holding tightly to other things, like my covenants, my faith, and my desire to be filled with charity.

It means believing I can change and believing others can change. It means having hope for others and giving them grace. It means allowing others the space and time to learn and grow, just as I continue to learn and grow over time.

It means purposefully choosing to believe things I don’t always feel. Over and over again. It means intentionally returning my focus to God. Over and over again.

It means trusting that I am known. My needs are known. My heart is known. My concerns are known. My children are known. His children are known. Every single one of God’s children is known and loved perfectly.

These are some pieces of what “looking forward with an eye of faith” means for me at this time. But the more important question is: What does “looking forward with an eye of faith” mean for you in your life right now?