Friday Fight 130: Optic or Optical Illusion?

Every Friday, when I wake and pray, God places something on my heart to help me fight darkness beginning in our minds. Today is FF130.

How often have we looked at a situation or experience only to later realize what we perceived as truth was a misconception? We may feel confident of our accurate perception of a person, position, or even a disagreement, only to later discover it is the complete opposite. How can we be sure we see an accurate representation and not a deceptive impression?

Optic or Optical Illusion?

The word optic means to see or how we perceive something. For this lesson, let's examine how we discern people, situations, or ourselves. What comes to mind when we think of an optical illusion? We imagine a trick or something deceiving us, which leads us to perceive things differently than what is true. For optics, apply the truth of God's Word; for optical illusions, apply the lies darkness uses to hide what is real. Psalm 145:17 says, "The Lord is righteous in all His ways and faithful in all He does." Even when we forget and need reminding of what is real, we can reference this verse and surrender it to God in prayer.

The truth is God constantly moves, restores, provides, and covers us with His love. But Satan does not want us to see that and manipulates how we grasp things. For example, a misunderstanding can be twisted in our minds, and suddenly, we are provoked to believe something that is not real or have a skewed perspective of someone. We can be tricked into only seeing the deficits in ourselves or others, instilling constant desires or unrealistic expectations. To apply this lesson, let's start by accepting that we have all been fooled at some point and should consider that possibility before we react, form strong opinions, or use damaging words about ourselves or others. We may have been under the false belief that things will never change regarding our relationships, work situations, or finances. These lies prevent us from seeing anything good. So, perhaps we need a reminder.

I was slowly buying into this lie, and the optical illusion was replacing the truth of what is real. I started focusing on my health (specifically my kidneys), believing things would never improve, so I prayed. Doctors have claimed many things over my life, but God is greater than all perceived outcomes. My recent pain has contributed to the delusion I was believing. In school this week, I found a note on my water bottle, "Drink me, please." I realized God was answering my prayers by using a student to remind me where He works in even the smallest detail of my life.

The other truth I struggled to see was in teaching. To be completely transparent, I love being a teacher but was starting to doubt my effectiveness. I continued to pray and asked God to show me what is real. A friend at work approached me the following day and began sharing her conversation with a parent about me; it was directly related! God used this exceptional educator, admired and cherished by parents and students, to change my self-perception. Once again, the optical illusion dissipated, and the power of God and His truth changed what I saw.

What reminders do we need to change our perception? If we believe things will never get any better than what we currently "see," maybe our optics are, in fact, an illusion that many of us are experiencing. This week, I invite everyone to join me in prayer and ask God to clarify our perceptions, judgments, or opinions. Let the truth of God and the character of Christ reveal what is accurate, and let go of the wrong perceptions that lead to things not of God. He is above the confusion of this world, and His perfect and all-powerful will is at work. Let's find our peace and fill our cups with the goodness of God.

Pastor Shannon

New Life Calvert