I have shortsightedness (Myopia) since my youth. Although the degree was not severe, I have to wear prescribed glasses since. The condition did not worsen so I did not pay much attention to it. Then age caught up with me. You can never understand the kind of frustration a person has when long sightedness (Hyperopia) kicked in. I began to have trouble seeing close distance with my glasses on. Tying a hook was not possible with my glasses on. Reading of script was not possible with my glasses on. Messaging on the mobile phone was not possible with my glasses on. The list goes on ... Soon, my habits changed. I had to wear glasses when I am driving and carrying out daily activities and I had to take the glasses off when I am reading or when I need to see something at close range. It was both inconvenient and frustrating. One day, I decided to try out the progressive lens. Without going to the technical details. The progressive lens gradually changes the degree from the top part of the lens to the bottom part. This means a person like me can see both the far object using the top part of the lens and see something of close range using the bottom part of the lens without taking the glasses off. That changed my life. I tell you about the progressive lens because the faith journey is similar in some sort. The Bible gives us the vision of the future and what the Kingdom of God would be like (Revelation 20-21). If we live only in that vision, life right here right now can seem to be unimportant and at times, meaningless. My son once asked me why he needs to study so hard when ultimately the most important end is to get to heaven. He was very far-sighted and can make no clear connection between the future and the now. The other extreme is to focus on the here and now but forget the ultimate goal of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him. We need a progressive lens. We are to look to our Lord Jesus, the author, and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), while we live our lives here with a different worldview (Titus 2:12). On one end, our views and perspectives have to be governed by the principles we read in the scriptures. On the other, we are to carry out the tasks we are placed in our various capacities to fulfill our immediate responsibilities. At times, focusing on one can blur the other and we are tempted to take our glasses off, just to see the near. A story was told about a person seeking a wise man about how he can live a fulfilled life. The wise man handed him a spoon with a few drops of oil in it and asked the man to roam around his palace without spilling the oil. The man came back after some time and the oil in the spoon was intact. The wise man then asks him if he had seen the beauty of the rare collection of the palace but the man missed them all. The wise man then concluded that the fulfilled life is to be able to take care of the oil while enjoying the beauty of the surrounding (Credit: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho). This story reminded us that a fulfilled discipleship life is one that can hold on to clear biblical principles while carrying out our duties in this world. Like the progressive lens, we must be able to have bifocals. I was advised not to drive with the progressive lens until I am used to it. As of now, I am very comfortable with the progressive lens because I used it daily. I believe we can get better in getting used to applying biblical principles in our daily lives.

May we have our "progressive lens" on to see clearly both the near and the far as we walk in the journey of faith. Get use to that by practicing biblical principles daily.