Open Hands, Open Eyes
It’s easy to think that faith is only about what we believe in our hearts or say with our mouths. But Scripture consistently ties true faith to how we see and serve others.
The prophet Isaiah once confronted God’s people for their blind spots. They were doing all the right religious things; praying, fasting, keeping their rituals, but God said they were missing what mattered most:
Isaiah 58:6–8 says, “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.”
In other words, it is possible to go through the motions of faith and still not see the people right in front of you.
That warning still rings true. Most of us spend our weeks working hard; long shifts at the shop or the office, hours in the truck or on the road, evenings shuttling kids to practices, or weekends catching up on projects at home. Life doesn’t slow down, and it’s easy to keep our heads down and our calendars full without noticing what God might be putting right in our path.
And out here, life has its own rhythm. We’ve got a little more space around us, a backyard big enough for a garden, a few chickens, maybe a patch of woods to walk through. It’s a blessing to have room to breathe, but the gift of space can also become a temptation to live at arm’s length. We wave as we drive by. We nod politely at work. But we don’t always stop to really see people.
Sometimes I think about it this way: it’s not that we don’t care, it’s that we’re busy or tired or distracted. But if we’re honest, sometimes it’s also because truly seeing people means opening ourselves up. It means stepping into the messiness of someone else’s life, offering time we don’t feel like we have, or risking an awkward conversation about faith. And that’s costly.
But friends, this is what Jesus calls us to. He never hurried past the person who was crying out. Even on His way to the cross, He stopped for the blind man outside Jericho. If we belong to Him, we can’t be content to hurry past our neighbors either.
Here’s the challenge: Ask God this week to open your eyes in simple, practical ways. When you’re on your commute, pray for the people you’ll meet that day. Look for the neighbor who could use a hand with a project or just a listening ear. Notice the classmate of your kids who may need encouragement. Invite someone over for dinner who might be lonelier than you realize. And don’t shy away from speaking about the hope you’ve found in Christ.
Because believing isn’t just about having the right words or nodding at the right times in church. Believing is truly seeing. And when we truly see, we won’t be content to sit back, we’ll step in, serve generously, and share the hope of Christ with those who need Him most.