I sat in the dimly lit room with soft music wafting through the air, and I began to relax. No this was not the prelude to a romantic evening with my husband. It was my yearly eye exam!
If you’ve ever had an eye exam, you’re familiar with the refraction test the doctor uses to determine if you need glasses and if so, what prescription is right for you. You place your face up to a phoropter (I had to look that up. Who knew?), and then the doctor flips down first one lens, then another, while you say which of the two helps you see the letters on the wall more clearly. Lens one or lens two? Lens three or four? Which one is better?
As I looked through those various lenses, I wondered if I was looking at my life through the correct lens. Could it be that I had been looking at my story through the wrong lens, and if I would simply flip down a different one, I would see a better story?
The apostle Paul was a man whose physical eyesight waned with the passing years, but his spiritual eyesight remained exceptionally clear. During his time of preaching the gospel, he had been flogged, whipped, and stoned many times. He had been shipwrecked, snake bit, outcast, and ridiculed. Several times, he was in lockdown in one place or another.
Part of the time he was under house arrest in Rome, part of the time he was in a dirty dungeon chained to a guard—all for preaching the gospel. And yet, it was during one of those stints in prison that Paul wrote the most joyful book in the New Testament: Philippians.
“I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.” (Philippians 1:12–14 NIV)
Lens one or lens two? Paul didn’t see himself as stuck in prison because of Jesus; he saw himself as stationed in prison for Jesus. He didn’t see himself as chained to a Roman guard; he saw the Roman guard as chained to him.
The guards had to listen to Paul talk about Jesus day in and day out. Paul had time to write letters to all the churches, something he might not have been able to do had he continued to travel about. Perhaps that is why he could write, “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!” from a prison cell (Philippians 4:4 NLT)
Paul also wrote, “I am put here for the defense of the gospel” (Philippians 1:16, emphasis added). Who put him there? From the outside looking in, it appeared the Roman rulers put him there. But from the inside looking out, Paul knew God had positioned him there.
He didn’t see himself as stuck at all. He considered himself stationed. And because he was looking through the right lens, he could have joy even in a difficult situation.
Even though Paul was seemingly stuck in a cycle of one bad thing happening after another, he still had joy. I’m sure he wasn’t happy all the time, but he was still joyful. There’s a big difference. Joy can be a happy feeling, but more than that–it’s a point of view.
I wish I could tell you that I have this perspective all the time. I don’t. It’s a struggle. I pout. I get huffy. I get downright discouraged when my plans fall apart, or people don’t respond the way I’d hoped. But after I settle down, I try to remember to flip the lens and look at my circumstances through the sovereignty of God rather than the selfishness of Sharon. And then I have a better story. Not because the storyline changes, but because I see it differently.
Heavenly Father, forgive me for grumbling and complaining about my circumstances. Help me flip the lens and look at my life through the lens of Your sovereignty. I know that my circumstances will work to mold and make me to be more like Jesus. Help me have joy in the journey. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
What is one situation that you might need to look at through a different lens? Leave a comment and let’s share.
Digging Deeper
It can be hard to cope with a difficult story. Looking through a different lens is a start, but sometimes the pain goes deeper. If you’re struggling with a chapter in your story that is gut wrenchingly difficult to process, When You Don’t Like Your Story can help you find peace and purpose in the pain of your past. What if your worst chapters could become your greatest victories? I believe they can. Come join me on the journey to a better story. (Includes a Bible Study guide)
Comments 51
You really hit home on this. To be what God wants us to be were we are at. I always enjoy your devotion because I know was the one presenting it. Lord help us to look through the lens of faith in Jesus Christ. Thank you Lord and thank you for Sharon for being real. And putting it on devotion time.
You really hit home on this. To be what God wants us to be were we are at. I always enjoy your devotion because I know the Lord was the one presenting it. Lord help us to look through the lens of faith in Jesus Christ. Thank you Lord and thank you for Sharon for being real. And putting it on devotion time.
Thank you. I needed to hear this.
I have a skin condition and chronic itching. My skin looks awful and wakes me up at night. Still, I have arms to embrace and hands to work!
Author
Amen!
Try soaking, daily, in a tub of warm water with one tablespoon of olive oil. Olive oil is very healing. This was recommended by a dermatologist to me years ago.
Sheila Scherlin
I’m praying right now that you find relief for this condition. My husband went through this about a year ago and it was absolutely miserable for him. His doctor finally put him on a medication that has taken care of it. It’s an injection. He does once a month. It’s the only thing that has really helped. And he went to many doctors trying to figure this out. I pray God brings you relief.
Thank you Sharon for flipping the lenses. I get to… My eyes must remain on Christ, because once I’m the center, it’s downhill.
Having just been to the eye doctor, this reminds me clearly, of how often I do not flip that lens. There is much in my life that is difficult to see through the lense of God’s sovereignty where Faith and trust must supersede my understanding. I will work on flipping that lense and look for the joy.
Beautifully said! Thank you for “opening” my eyes yet again!
Beautifully said! Thank you for “opening” my eyes!
I am immensely blessed by such a timely message this morning . Just before I opened this message in my email , God had brought to my mind how Paul was joyful and full of purpose even in a prison cell and there you were with the same message .
Finding joy, despite unwanted estrangement from adult children. It has been four years now.. At first the years were long, but now they have grown shorter and shorter.. God has opened new doors for me and has filled the deep holes in my life with great purpose. My relationship with the Lord has increased. He has shown me my true identity, not simply as Mom, but as his dearly loved child. I am in awe of what the Lord can do!
My singleness in Christ in this season isn’t a burden, it’s a blessing because it allows me time to develop a deeper intimacy with the Lord. Amen!
Nehemiah 8:10-“The Joy of the Lord is my strength.”
This reminds me of a favorite chorus, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.” Blessings on you, Sharon!
I am thankful for studying the book of Philippians right now in our church ladies group.
Joy is a choice! Just like choosing between lenses one, or two!
Choosing joy allows us to see the opportunity within the circumstances —not allow our circumstances to determine our joy. What a great point of view! I need my spiritual lenses cleaned often to remind me of this.
I agree!! Beautifully said!
I know all about the workings of eye exams. I was blessed with the career of being a certified assistant in optometry and ophthalmology for 32 yrs! I retired in 2014, but still miss it
I will look at my circumstances differently!
Thank you!
So true and such a good analogy. That is something I can remember and apply. Change my lense, and change my outlook.
Thank you, Sharon for your perspective! What a wonderful way to think! I love that Paul saw the guard chained to him! It changes everything! I want so much to incorporate that into my walk with the Lord! Joy IS a point of view!
Right now I am struggling because I lost my dad in December. I was his caregiver and he lived with my husband and I for almost 10 years. Most of those years were good and he was pretty healthy and capable. But caregiving takes a lot of emotional mental and physical Doing and even though I know my daddy is with Jesus and has heard the words Well done my good and faithful servant, I can’t shake the feeling that I gave “care” but I didn’t spend the one on one personal time with him that he really longed for. I can make a list of the things we did and ways I took care of him, but I keep wishing I had done something different. I want to be able to just feel joy that he is in the presence of his savior and with my sweet mama.
Author
Oh my. You’ve done way more than most. Here’s the thing, in heaven, he is not thinking about 1 thing that he wished you had done differently. He’s just looking forward to the day you join him there.
10 months ago I was suddenly diagnosed with epilepsy, have had six seizures during that time and also have non elliptic seizures which requires therapy.
My whole world has flipped upside-down, why now and why me is a mystery!
Still looking at the thumbnail of the picture hoping to see the whole puzzle, until I do, I’ll keep on serving and loving the Lord my God.
Author
I’m so sorry. Let’s pray God will show the box top to that puzzle.
Trusting God with my marriage. See my husband thru God’s eyes rather than my own.
Oh, marriage pain is so gut wrenching. Hugs ❤️
The Empowered Wife by Laura Doyle massively helped me with this very same issue!
I Love your story, it was a eye opener in what is going on with my brother, too day. I have been taking care of him since my mom passed. A lot of ups and downs. I moved to Texas last year in March 2025. Now he may this friend, in which he a Minister , but he said he drinks and smoke that I think he is a bag influencer in information he been giving my brother. Well I have been giving my the right direction since I was care for him. They are making me a bad person, in which I am not, my smoke a lot, and I have a lot of health issues, I can’t be around smoking or anything related to smoke. So I am communing down and trying to get a big picture of what is going on with these two ,and pray to the LORD To work out . It’s more .Do you have feedback.
I’m just a little over 2 months in from losing my husband of nearly 57 years. The initial grief is SO intense it hard to even SEE the lens, much less thinking the new lens could even remotely make things look better. But, as I sent here in my new home God has so graciously provided I have no doubt which is better. I was my husband’s sole care giver over the last few years of his life and I am SO blessed and thankful that God allowed me the strength needed for each day, each hospital stay, each doctor’s visit. He is now wholly and “holy” healed. And He has allowed me to have an apartment I can call home. Now my lens is definitely the better one for me now. Until we meet again……
Stationed… I never considered this. I am stationed right now taking care of a homebound husband who I love dearly. Thank you, Lord for this station in my life.
My daughter deciding to elope and get married without any of her family that love her to celebrate and rejoice with her.
I really like your devotion sharing with me today itp empowers me to be strong in the Lord and trust His promises in my life as well as my loved ones
Im always.blessed with your story today and with your devotion all the time Praise God for.being who you are
Thanks for this message, Sharon! Really encouraging.
Perfect for me and where I’m at. Thank you so much.
This had such an impact on me as I’m 63 going through a divorce after 35 years of marriage . The result of years of physical mental and emotion abuse . My young adult children were protected from it by me and inadvertently I protected him. They aren’t speaking to me at the moment and refuse any communication with me at this point. I have lost so much in this and pray for Gods redemptive transformation restoring what is lost or broken .i am in process of learning how to see things in a different perspective . To see not what’s in front of me in the physical but seeing in the spirit , that all things are possible to him who believes . Thank you for this encouragement ❤️
My new job is not what I had hoped. The hours,the commute, and the whole position is not what I had hoped.I ask the LORD every day to be with me through this until my change comes I struggle with being here and I try not to complain because I am grateful for a job to come to
Just this morning after hearing yet another message on storms I felt the Lord say “The wind from the storm gets you to the destination faster” and I will look differently at storms in my life now!
Thank you so much, what a wonderful timely message for me. Glory to God 🙏
Such an eye opener, (no pun intended)…..oh that I can remember this as I go about my day with my mind going round and round , worrying about my situations 🙏🙏
Thank-you Sharon ❣️
In 2012, when my daughter left for university, she said, “I sent you a link to a daily email devotional – you’re going to need it” she was right! I believe three of you were writing at that time, and I’ve never commented to say how much you’ve helped me over the years. I love how you take the ordinary experiences in life and bring in the spiritual perspective. For me it’s a heavy work situation at the moment, and needing clarity about how to walk through it, Thank you so much, Sharon!
Author
Thank you so much! You blessed me today!
As I was reading your devotional, I was thinking how could the circumstances and trials of my life helps spread the gospel. But I pray it does. My estranged husband is serving a sentence of 10 years to life in prison for molesting our granddaughter. At that time we had been married for 43 years. He was a Christian man very open about his faith and witnessed to others leading many to Christ and was always helping people in need. I can’t explain the devastation and division this caused my family. My granddaughter told me and I was the one who reported him. It caused that daughter and her husband to divorce. My ex son-in-law, then decided to sue me for negligence. It was stated that I should have known what my husband was doing. I did not know, and I can’t explain the turmoil. I went through trying to figure out how I could not have known what was happening. My husband at one time was mayor of our town., so naturally the news media picked up on this story. So it was made very public. I could go on about so many repercussions that came from this, but I won’t. Seven months ago I lost my middle daughter to breast cancer after an 18 month battle. This was another devastation for me and also for my grandson. We had prayed and believed for a miracle. God has sustained me and brought me through these things. I have always prayed that he would guard my heart that I would not become bitter or angry and he has done that for me I can’t say that it was easy, but I know He was always there with me. I truly don’t know where I would be if it was not for His love and His comfort. My only hope is that my light will shine so others will see and glorify my Father in heaven.
Author
I am so sorry you have had to go through all this trauma. My heart breaks for you. I wish I could give you a hug tight now. What a testimony of faith you have in that you aren’t angry and bitter. I pray God will open doors for you to share how she got you through and continues to get you through each day. Love you, sister.
When life knocked me down – a shoulder injury at work in July, a broken knee in December, surgery in January, and a car accident last week – I could have stayed down. Instead, I found the determination to rise above, seeking the silver lining in each hardship and emerging more resilient with each step forward. I realized i am a lot like Paul.
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Keep going! So proud of you!
It was supposed to be a blessing. A friend who owns a cleaning business offered to clean a small Ethan Allen chair for me – no charge. An employee was sent, chair was cleaned, some old stains removed, but there was now a rip in the fabric. How do you flip disappointment and move past it?
Author
Of course I’d ask them to fix it. But as for 5he disappointment lingering…when I feel that, I go back and read comments here from some of our sisters who have gone through and are going through much more difficult situations. It puts my disappointments in perspective.
Thank you so much for this!
I am a director of ministry. We work with families whose loved one is incarcerated or in a drug rehab rehabilitation program. We have been struggling to get the word out, I have been discouraged, worrying, frustrated! Folks who say they’re committed, not doing the job they said they would do!
I’m going to change lens and look at it through God‘s sovereignty. Continue to pray! Wherever I’m stationed, or what my circumstances are, I will be advancing the kingdom of God.
Hello Sharon,
I really enjoyed this insightful post. I will go all day reminding myself, Joy is a point of view!!! This is so good and I am sharing with others!!
Thank you for sharing. We are so Blessed!!!!!
I dont know whether I’m meant to stay where I work and look at it differently, or move to a job I was invited to apply for, in a different area of the country. Is God opening a door? Am I failing to listen?
Sharon, I’m thanking God how he speaks to you so we can know what to do in flipping the lens. I need to rest in him and believe what happens in my life God wants me to lean on Him. I know He will carry us through and is with me all the way!!
Author
Yes He will.
Hi Sharon, I have a question. My daughter is listening to this movie called “handmaid Tale” she thinks that this is going to happen and she is so wrapped up in what people are saying about it and not leaning on Jesus I’m stuck in the middle and I need help to know what to do and say to her or just listen, she is 40 years old. I would think by now she would be stronger in Jesus and not in the world. What should I do?
Author
I really don’t know anything about it.