Through Broken Lenses
By Dr. Verlyn Fontaine Waterman
Seeing Beyond the Surface
Betrayal. Envy. Hatred.
These three words carry a weight that can fracture even the strongest soul. But beneath them lies something deeper — a distortion of vision. When the heart is poisoned by resentment or pride, perception becomes polluted. Those who live under the influence of these destructive emotions are not seeing reality as it is — they’re seeing it through broken lenses.
When the lens is broken, every image is distorted. Acts of kindness look suspicious. Love feels like manipulation. Truth sounds like an attack. The heart twists what the eyes behold, and suddenly, life itself looks unsafe.
The Pain of Distorted Vision
It’s heartbreaking to realize that those who once walked beside you can turn against you — not because you changed, but because their vision did.
They were not truly seeing you; they were seeing through the fractures within themselves.
Broken lenses filter everything through unhealed wounds. The insecure see competition instead of collaboration. The jealous see a rival instead of a reflection. The bitter see threats instead of blessings.
And this distortion doesn’t stay isolated. It spreads — like smoke that suffocates clarity. It seeps into conversations, families, friendships, and even ministries. One person’s broken lens can influence an entire atmosphere.
The Optician vs. God: The Process of Clarity
When your physical sight becomes blurry, you go to the optician. You sit before bright lights and small letters as the doctor asks,
“Better with this lens, or that one?”
The process is meant to correct your vision — slowly, precisely, patiently.
Spiritually, God performs the same work — but His examination is deeper. He looks beyond the eyes and into the soul.
Let’s look at the contrast:
1. The Examination Room
- Optician: Uses charts to measure how clearly you can see.
- God: Use the Word to reveal how purely you perceive. He asks, “Can you see yourself clearly in My truth?”
2. The Lens Fitting
- Optician: Adjusts lenses to find your perfect focus.
- God: Adjusts your heart through experiences — humility, forgiveness, surrender — until your inner focus aligns with His love.
3. The Prescription
- Optician: Gives lenses to correct your vision.
- God: Prescribes repentance for clarity, prayer for focus, and love for depth.
4. The Cleanse
- Optician: Cleans your glasses to remove smudges.
- God: Cleanses your spirit through worship and truth, removing residue from offense, pride, and pain.
Broken Lenses and the Clarity of Grace
- The Lens of Betrayal distorts trust — you expect everyone to hurt you.
- The Lens of Envy distorts gratitude — you forget how blessed you are.
- The Lens of Hatred distorts love — you close your heart to connection.
But the Lens of Grace restores them all. Grace teaches you to see people as God sees them — through compassion, mercy, and hope. It clears away the fog of resentment and brings light back into your vision.
When you allow God to exchange your broken lenses for His divine prescription, you begin to see life in panoramic truth. The very situations that once broke you now reveal wisdom. The people who wounded you now become mirrors reflecting your growth.
A Whisper from Heaven
Sometimes, God isolates you not to punish you, but to recalibrate your vision.
He pulls you out of noisy environments so He can restore how you see — yourself, others, and Him.
So if He removes people or closes doors, don’t panic. He’s just adjusting the lens. You’re not losing — you’re gaining clarity.
A Prayer for Clear Vision
Father,
Search the eyes of my soul and heal the places clouded by pain.
Exchange my broken lenses for Your divine sight.
Let me see with purity, discern with love, and walk with clarity.
Where I once saw darkness, let me now see light.
Restore my vision until I see only You.
Amein.
Affirmation for Today
I no longer see through the eyes of pain.
I see through the clarity of grace.
My perception is purified, my discernment refined,
and my vision aligned with heaven.
My sight is no longer broken — it is holy.
Written from the desk of reflection — “The Refiner’s Journal” Series by Dr. Verlyn Fontaine Waterman.
May this piece bring light to those who see too much and still desire peace.