Playing dress up in my parents’ closet was one of our favorite pastimes as a kid. There was nothing like wearing a ball cap, one of Mom’s button-up shirts, and Dad’s giant rubber work boots around the house. Sometimes we even got into Mom’s costumes and came out dressed as rabbits or clowns. But one of our most fun dress up accessories were our parents’ old prescription glasses.

Wearing those glasses made the world blurry and seem like it was moving. I would take a step and find the floor way faster than it appeared through the lenses. Everything was distorted. Everything was uncertain.

As I have aged, glasses are now a requirement. I can always tell when my eyes are changing because I find myself squinting through my glasses that used to help me see so clearly. When something is off inside my eyes, clear vision is next to impossible.

The same happens when something isn’t right inside of me. I start second guessing or comparing myself. My self-talk gets tainted with insecurity and I begin to beat myself up in my head. My emotions become unreined and unchecked as I allow comments, situations, and fears to rule my thoughts. Everything becomes distorted. Everything becomes uncertain. Clear vision is simply impossible.

How we see the world is directly dependent upon the emotional, mental, and spiritual health of our insides. If we believe the lie that we are worthless, unlovable, and rejected then we will see through those lenses of insecurity. We will sabotage friendships because we over-analyze every conversation and eventually convince ourselves that we are unwanted. If we believe the lie that we have gone too far to be forgiven by God then we will give up hope of ever allowing Him to redeem our lives. We will miss opportunities of sharing our struggles, working through the hurt, and learning what it’s like to heal in Christian community. If we are wearing the wrong glasses, life will never make sense.

Playing dress up and wearing my mom’s glasses as a kid was fun in the moment, but Mama’s glasses weren’t made for my eyes and neither are the glasses of insecurity. If I choose to wear those glasses, I’m choosing to take my eyes off God. My emotional glasses will always lead me astray. Instead, I need to keep my emotional, mental, and spiritual eyes in check, making sure that I’m seeking out truth, not basing life’s decisions on my feelings or perceived realities.

Check your vision this week. What lenses are you viewing the world through?