W6D1: And Seen

"The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4:9 NASB

When something is seen, it has been perceived by our eyes. Our eyes can detect an image, but that doesn’t mean that we really see it. We may miss it, but our mind doesn’t. It will automatically map and file away what we see. That is why people can see something horrific and have no memory of it. Their minds bury the sight so deeply they can’t recall it. But even though they can’t recall it, they know it’s there. It changes them and traumatizes them. They no longer function the way they use to and they struggle to move forward.

Some people have the ability to access those deep places easily. We say they have a “photographic” memory. They can glance at a list then close their eyes and recite back every item on the list. That is a very cool skill to have, especially in school. Think of all the hours that could be saved if we didn’t have to sit and memorize lists, tables, dates or definitions. 

We all have certain ways we access information stored in our brains. Some people are considered verbal learners, meaning they can easily recall what has been said while others are visual learners; they must see it in order to grasp it. We can tell some people how to get to an address and they will easily find it. But for others we have to draw a map, or they will get lost. We all learn using both our eyes and ears, but most of us lean more toward one method than the other.

Regardless of how we learn, our ears and eyes are still portals and our mind will store the information somewhere. Some things are stored so deeply in our memories we are unable to recall them; while other things are stored toward the front ready to access at a moment’s notice. Verbal learners can “hear" what was said over and over again while visual learners have a mental picture in their minds of what was seen. Once something is heard or seen, it is very difficult to be undone. 

Verbal/visual learners are easy to spot. If you tell someone a scary story, a verbal person may cover their ears and a visual person may cover their eyes. This is because their minds “hear” or “see” what is being said and the sounds/images are being burned into their thoughts. We need to use more than our hands to be the gatekeepers for our ears and our eyes. 

We must intentionally choose what we hear and see because everything we hear and see affects us either consciously or subconsciously. That means sights and sounds are not neutral, they either build or they destroy the abundant life we seek. So, Paul is telling us to pay attention to the good things we have seen him do. Focus and see what Jesus did here on earth. We have to protect our eyes and look at what will give us life, not what will kill our souls.

Have you ever thought about what your eyes see throughout the day? List some things that you can see/look at that will be beneficial or harmful for you?

Meditate on “and seen" today