“ROSE COLORED GLASSES”
MERRY MONDAY- Parris Bailey
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. (Hebrews 11:13 KJV)
“But these rose colored glasses
That I’m looking through
Show only the beauty
‘Cause they hide all the truth” (John Conlee)
Even though I spent some time in Texas my folks didn’t really listen much to country music. I am sure many of you will remember this song and associate it with some heartbreak romance, but these lyrics can have another meaning. I have come to the conclusion that in order to live “in this world” one must definitely have those “rose colored glasses”. Those glasses show us the beauty of life and you could even say God’s reality hides us from everyday truth. Let’s say you go to the Doctor and find out you have cancer. Everyday truth slaps you right up side of the head, but those “rose colored glasses” begin to show you something eternal, something so amazing that in losing we gain. Such were the heroes in Hebrews 11. Living in eternity changed their whole perspective on life. Andrew Murray said, “Let me here say to every believer that just as, in any pursuit, the eye by practice can be trained to see what others cannot see, so the eye of faith can be trained to see God everywhere. Abide in His presence until the heart is filled with it. Recognize Him in everything that happens. Seek to walk in the light of His countenance. Seeing the invisible will make it easy to forsake the world and to do the will of God.” As a child I was fortunate to be near woody areas with clear streams and God’s beauty. Funny, now that I look back and recall those walks I was really communing with my unseen friend. These strangers and pilgrims in Heb.11, had as it were a “imprint of faith” put upon their heart. They were looking past this earth and with “rose colored glasses” saw the beauty of their fatherland. “From the tranquility of faith springs the willing confession that one is a stranger, that in all his action and suffering he is led on by the hope of reaching his fatherland. In faith we learn to reconcile things which seem directly hostile, as “dying and behold we live”. (Reiger)
How were your Thanksgiving holidays? Did weird Uncle Ralph come drunk again or did you find yourself the only Christian in the bunch? “The crown of all hopes is the city of God, where God in the most glorious manner will dwell among his saints. Faith makes us strong to offer up that which is dearest to us.” (Heubner)
I say, God is calling you to look again. Go beyond the veil into the new and living way that Christ opened up for us. See him praying through you for that uncle of yours. See that you have “been called” for such a time as this”. Eternity is drawing us near!