Tunnel vision, according to the Cleveland Clinic, is another name for peripheral vision loss. “It’s called tunnel vision because your ability to see can seem like you’re looking into a tunnel. You can only see what’s right in front of your eyes.” Every person suffers from spiritual tunnel vision. It takes God to open your eyes to what is going on around you, not just in front of you.
God makes Himself known to all who desire to see Him and come to know Him. He removes the veil that is over your eyes that causes tunnel vision. 2 Corinthians 3:14-16 says, “But the people’s minds were hardened and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand. But when someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.”
Sin causes your mind to be hardened against God. Even when reading or hearing God’s Word, your heart can remain closed to God Himself. You must acknowledge your own sins, realize what Christ did for you, call out to God in prayer that He will step in and save you, and turn towards Him. From there, you allow God to change you into who He wants you to be. You sacrifice your earthly life for Christ’s life within you. You now live for God as a living sacrifice, read Romans 12:1-2.
Think about this quote from John Piper, “Christ did not die to forgive sinners who go on treasuring anything above seeing and savoring God. And people who would be happy in heaven if Christ were not there, will not be there. The gospel is not a way to get people to heaven; it is a way to get people to God. It’s a way of overcoming every obstacle to everlasting joy in God. If we don’t want God above all things, we have not been converted by the gospel.” Thus, you continue to live with tunnel vision. You can only see what is in front of you which is tainted by sin and self.
If you cannot see God in all, you cannot see God at all. (author unknown)
It takes the Trinity to remove the veil that is over your eyes that keeps you from seeing God fully. A partial view of God keeps you in the dark where you will be unable to hear or truly see Him. He will remain silent with you until you engage the three persons of the Trinity. You must believe that God the Father is the Living God. He is sovereign and omnipresent. He knows all and sees all. You must receive God the Son. He is the bridge that connects you to God the Father. He is the only way to Him, see John 14:6. His sacrifice upon you causes your sins to be wiped away. You are acquitted from all your sins.
The third person of the Trinity is where the rubber meets the road in activating your faith. You must walk in obedience to God the Holy Spirit. He speaks, you obey. When you begin to live in this fashion, your tunnel vision is replaced with godly eyes that can see clearly what is all around you.
Where are you when it comes to the Trinity? Read Matthew 13:1-23. Be honest, what seed are you? Anything but the seed in good soil has some sort of tunnel vision. You can read this passage in Mark 4:1-20 and Luke 8:4-15. Another determining factor if you suffer from tunnel vision is this, do you watch another believer and realize that they have something that you do not? There is something about their faith that you know you don’t have.
My sister suffered with tunnel vision at one point. She didn’t realize that she suffered it until God opened her eyes three weeks after our father passed away. You could say God turned on the lightbulb in her heart and mind. She went from seeing how I walked with God, knowing she didn’t have what I had, she sought God for it, and He delivered her.
God is in the delivery business. He wants every person that He has created to come to the saving grace of His Son Jesus Christ. He wants to remove your blind tunnel vision and help you become holy. While He loves to see you happy and joyful, holiness takes precedence. Happiness, joy, contentment, along with peace, will take place when you let God have His way with you.
Today, let God remove your tunnel vision and truly see what is before you.
Carol J German 