Seeing More Clearly

I used to have a rather romantic idea of spiritual growth.

When I first became a Christian, I assumed maturity would eventually arrive like some sort of heavenly graduation ceremony. One day I would wake up, angels would probably sing a few bars of Handel’s Messiah, and I would glide through life with remarkably few mistakes, temptations, or course corrections.

Needless to say, that has not happened.

Instead, I’ve discovered that spiritual growth often feels more like cleaning a window.

At first, you notice the obvious smudges. Those are easy enough to find. They’re the habits, attitudes, and behaviors that practically wave at you from across the room. But after a while, something unexpected happens. The glass gets cleaner, and suddenly you begin noticing fingerprints you never saw before.

Tiny streaks. Faint smears. Little imperfections that had been there all along.

The strange thing is that the window isn’t getting dirtier. It’s actually getting cleaner. The clearer the glass becomes, the more visible the remaining flaws appear.

I’ve found the Christian life can work much the same way.

When the Holy Spirit first begins His work in us, He often addresses the obvious things. But as we continue walking with Christ, He gently reveals deeper layers—motives hidden beneath actions, pride tucked behind good deeds, impatience disguised as efficiency, self-reliance masquerading as strength.

Years ago I might have congratulated myself for not saying something unkind. Today I find myself convicted because I merely thought it.

That’s clearer vision.

David understood this when he prayed, “Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults” (Psalm 19:12). The closer he drew to God, the more aware he became of things he previously could not see.

I’ve believe that one of the evidences of spiritual growth is becoming increasingly aware of how much we still need Jesus. Paul, near the end of his ministry, didn’t speak like a man who thought he had arrived. Instead, he wrote, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (1 Timothy 1:15).

That is the irony of grace. The nearer we draw to the Light, the more dust we notice. Yet the purpose of the Light is never condemnation. It is illumination.

And thankfully, the One who reveals the fingerprints is also the One holding the cleaning cloth.

If this Fireside Chat warmed your spirit and sparked fresh resolve to live what you believe, fan that flame with Scripture—“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Colossians 3:16). Pull a little closer to the Light, and carry it into the week ahead.

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