Biased Eyes...

August 16, 2017
Wednesday

Dear Readers,

It's still dark outside but I am awake, have a load of wash going, and have been outside with my precious dogren. The owls have been really hooting up a storm and ever since I heard about the Pom being picked up by a hawk, I've been especially vigilant. They know they can only go to the garden closest to the sidewalk in front of the cottage. Call me over protective but I call me being a good fur mom! Anyway, I am up and going, coffee cup filled, and ready to chat with you. GOOD MORNING!!

I was standing at the ironing board, humming the song of Hallelujah yesterday, and all of a sudden, I heard that little voice inside of me say, "The world sees everything through biased eyes." Okay... I went on ironing. The voice came back, "The world sees everything through biased eyes." I kind of chuckled and again, went on ironing. This time, the voice was LOUD, "The world sees everything through biased eyes."

Let me explain. No, I'm not crazy, hearing voices. The evening that I was baptized, I was given the gift of intercessory prayer. If anyone is an intercessory prayer warrior, you know what I mean when I say that God speaks to us about areas and people needing "on your knees" prayer. I stopped ironing and acknowledged the statement. "Yes, Lord, the world sees everything through biased eyes." I added ~ "You are telling me that we all need to see everything through YOUR eyes."

I sat down in my chair and closed my eyes to meditate and pray. If it is true that all men see things through biased eyes, then, how do we now the real truth? God tells us in 2 Timothy 3 that all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. For me, as a Christian, that means I need to be checking out what God has to say about what I am thinking, saying, and doing.

According to the dictionary the word biased means "unfairly prejudiced for or against someone or something."  In other words, depending on our intellectual and emotional mind-set, we will be influenced in every area of our lives. I am very biased in many areas of my life especially when it comes to my faith and God. I am a seeker of truth and will spend hours doing research from different sources. The times I have allowed my emotions to react to something, someone, or something, I have gotten myself in a pickle.Why? Because a knee jerk reaction can be just that ... something triggered a life's experience and I re-enter the world of my past ~ that past was influencing what I was seeing and hearing.

Our mainstream media is incredibly good at feeding frenzied Americans half truths. They prey on the insecure instilling fear. Why? Because good stuff doesn't get viewers and readers interested. Just lately, there has been destructive rioting going on ~ not by people who really believe what they are protesting but by people who have been hired and coached on what to do and say. Oh dear...and, we buy into this.

"A half-truth is more dangerous than a lie."

~Thomas Aquinas

A couple years ago, I passed on a post in Facebook about some companies NOT to donate to. One of my readers became incensed that I would pass on this erroneous information. I apologized and decided to do some research. This post was regarded as truth on MANY sites. We can research and still NOT be equipped with the real truth. My suggestion when this happens is for companies to address this false information with correct stats then do a news blitz.

Gossip is delicious and makes for wonderful conversation. We trust those who are imparting information YET must remember the bias involved. There is a great book written by M Scott Peck ~ PEOPLE OF THE LIE. If you've ever had lies told about you, something, or someone else, this is a good read to help understand the why...

"Man prefers to believe what he prefers to be true."

~Francis Bacon

Yesterday, the Lord's prompting was enough to move me to prayer. As a blogger, I am able to pass on information to you, my Readers. Before you pass on any information ask yourself: is it true, is it necessary, is it kind. Will your information bring unity, reconciliation, and a stronger bond of understanding? Are you judging someone else for what you do yourself? We tend to believe what we want to believe to justify our own behavior. Funny, how that works...

Dear Father in Heaven, thank you for prompting me about this issue of biased eyes. I pray that we would see the world, it's events, and happenings through your eyes. It is You who are the wise one ... it is You who has the answers ... it is You who brings peace and unity to divided peoples and nations. Help us to seek to understand the "why" and see the big picture. My God, please forgive us. I stand in the gap for my country, tears rolling down my cheeks, and pain swelling in my heart. We murder the innocent, consider old people burdens, want to rid the universe of the imperfect, revise history to suit our bias, remove You from every corner of our lives, and STILL EXPECT YOU TO BLESS US. I pray that those reading my blogs would turn to You for answers. What would Jesus do??? I pray this morning for those experiencing fractured relationships. I pray for my growing number of Readers in China ~ that they would come to You. I pray for the church that it would minister to those who seek your face. I pray for those undergoing surgical procedures and for those who are healing. You, my God, are the wind beneath our wings ... our help in time of trial ... our truth. Amen!

Miss Dottie

PS Just for today, take a "look-see" at your own biases. Do not judge yourself or others ~ merely look into your mind, soul, and spirit.

"Search me,God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting.

~Psalm 139:23-24