Light attracts light, and darkness attracts darkness. What we are attracted to in others reflects in us the dominant impulse in our own beings. If I find myself judging others, and noticing the worse in others, it reflects my own nature. If my impulse is to find the light in someone else, even if that light is buried deep down, it reflects that charity is becoming the governing aspect of my nature.
I have found myself in recent years really fighting the desire to judge others. Especially those that I feel are judging me. It has been a chastisement to come to realize that this is because I have allowed so much darkness to govern my awareness. It is such a chastisement to come to understand this, but as with all chastisements, it also comes with instruction.
When I feel to judge others and to see darkness in them, and to withhold love because of their darkness, there is a way to shift your focus and awareness. When we encounter someone we are tempted to judge, we can ask the Lord to reveal to us the light within them. All people have the spirit of truth in them. The Lord can reveal that to us and we can single-mindedly learn to focus on it.
In one sense, this seems one way in which we can fulfill the invitation to have our eye single to the glory of God. We make our awareness single to the light of others in those that may be hard to love. If our eyes are single to the glory of God in others, than our whole body can be filled with light, and we can see things as they are, and we can comprehend all things – including the ability to charitably discern other people.
What a blessing and power! To be able to see people as they are, and to begin to love them the way the Lord loves them. This is a game changer. This can radically transform our awareness of others. Our ability to be servants of Christ will exponentially increase. We will be endowed with power to bless and bring others to Christ.
Our eyes can be single to the glory of God in those that are hard to love. Searching for that light invites the Holy Ghost to expand our awareness and to become full of the love of Gods ourselves. Learning to do this will certainly activate the promise of having our eye single:
Therefore, yourselves that your become to God (in others), and the days will come that you shall him; for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will. (D&C 88: 68)
Very thoughtful article. I will share with you an experience I had. One day, the Lord let me see a brief glimpse into the life of every one I encountered for a day. I was astonished at how much everyone suffers. I learned very quickly to not judge by outward appearances, but trust that they all needed Christ-like love, just like me. It was a sacred day that I will always cherish, and I became more charitable for it.
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