Rev. George Ellis The Pastor’s Corner Now community, this morning this question is not asked just to be humorous. To be sure we’re all looking at something and the question “What are you are looking at” is not asked just so as to offend somebody and turn somebody off, but it is to cause us to be aware of what we are giving our attention to.
Tto be sure we are all looking at something; and in some cases we are looking at somebody and the way we feel depends on what we see. Now this morning a lot of things cross in front of our eyes, it can’t be helped. I mean the only way that we cannot see some things is to keep our eyes closed all the time for when our eyes are closed all we see is darkness and we were not made to walk in darkness. In fact it’s dangerous to do so, we see things we should see and Satan will make sure that we see things we should not see. Not that we are looking for or at something that is wrong but Satan will put things and in some cases people in our path that are not good to look at but all of a sudden there it is.
It is this community, that we find ourselves doing, looking at the wrong thing or the negative thing. I repeat, every last one of us with vision is looking at something or somebody, some are looking at your situation and some are looking at yourself and still yet some are looking at somebody else and it is this that has us traumatized this morning. What we see has us intimidated, frustrated, aggravated and downright afraid, somebody this morning is stressed out and somebody is worn down; somebody is feeling there is no hope for you or what you are going through.
What I want us to do this morning is focus on what we are looking at because believe it or not but what we’re looking at determines how we react. For example when most of us look at a needle most of us cringe, the sight of the needle frightens us. When some people look at blood they faint, the sight of blood causes a bad reaction. When some of us look at our bills and they are more than the money we are bringing in it causes a negative reaction. The sight of a gun disturbs some people when they look at it, they don’t want one in the home.
In this summer time of the year when most of us look at a snake the very core of our nature trembles, it does something to us on the inside. Many don’t smile when they look at a snake when we LOOK at the world now and all the chaos going on it can put all of us in a tailspin. Community, a lot of the problems we are having as Christians is largely because of what we are LOOKING at and how we are looking at it.
If we be honest on today, we have to admit, that a majority of our problems are not the problem — it’s how we LOOK at it. If we see something negative we respond to negativity negative, “Oh, this is the worst!” when we see something positive we respond positive, “this is good!” it all depends on how it looks!
So community if you are stressed this morning or if there is something going on let me ask you “what are you looking at?” It’s not the surgery you’ve got to have it’s how you’re looking at it! Satan wants us to see the worst! It’s not the person against you and what they can do to you it’s how you’re looking at them! Community, we focus too much on what we’re looking at in the natural, especially when what we’re looking at is not good.
In 2nd Kings chapter 6 when the servant of Elisha rose up early in the morning he saw the enemies chariots and a great army that had come by night, and surrounded the city to take Elisha captive (verse 14). The servant of Elisha looked and to his shock they were surrounded by the enemy (verse 15). Community, he looked and he panicked!
He said to Elisha “What shall we do (verse 15b)?” But community, the enemy was not the problem; it was how he looked at it; what he looked at disturbed his very soul; Elisha said “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.” He prayed to God and said, “Lord, open his eyes, that he may see.” And he saw the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha (verse 17).
Elisha prayed unto the Lord to strike the enemy with blindness, and the Lord struck them with blindness (verse 18). Community, when things seem out of control and all you SEE is trouble, when there is danger all around, open your eyes and look again by faith and you will see that we are guarded and protected by the power of God. We have angels, ministering spirits camped all around us (Hebrews 1:14). Community, fear is a terrible thing; it causes us to see the worst and when we see the worst we think the worst, our nerves go to piece, our blood pressure goes us but always remember that “they that be with us are more than they that be with them. What are you looking at?”
The Rev. George Ellis is pastor of Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church.