Perspective

This week’s thoughts are brought to you courtesy once again of our nightly tradition of hymns at bedtime. This time, my attention was caught by the second verse of Annie S. Hawks’ “I Need Thee Every Hour”: 

I need Thee every hour, 
Stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their pow’r
When Thou art nigh.
I need Thee, O I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
O bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.

No one, I think, would deny the allure and attractiveness of sin. If it wasn’t attractive, we wouldn’t be tempted. James tells us that we’re tempted because of our desires, and sin promises to feed those. Choose to follow that path though, and you’ll soon find out that it’s more like a parasite than a panacea. Instead of satisfying those desires, sin requires more and more and more to slake its unending thirst. 

Likewise, Christ too has a certain allure and attractiveness, but the two can’t even be compared. If the unsurpassing worth and beauty of our Savior and the kingdom that He brings about and rules was once compared to a pearl of great price or a treasure in a field (Matthew 13:44-46), then sin is exposed as the cheap, tawdry stage jewelry or pile of malachite that it truly is. When we are close to Christ, when we see Him for who He is, sin loses its allure.

A similar theme is found in the fourth verse of Henry F. Lyte’s “Abide With Me”:

I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.

In this case, it’s not sin and temptation, but ills – disease and sorrow – and the tears they bring. It’s not that the presence of the Lord rights everything this side of heaven, but rather that His nearness brings perspective. As the trials and suffering of this world are light and momentary afflictions are not worth comparing to the coming glory (2 Corinthians 4:17-18; Romans 8:18), so the pleasures of sin are pale and wan in comparison with the glory of Christ. It’s only when we take our eyes off the Lord, when we are not near to Him, that we lose sight of reality.

As I go through the coming days and weeks, I can be confident that temptation, trials, and suffering are ahead. That’s pretty much a given while living in a broken and sin-stained world. But I pray that the Lord will enable me, and you as well, to keep things in their right perspective by abiding in Him and keeping our eyes on Him.

If either of these hymns are new to you, you can find my favorite rendition of “I Need Thee Every Hour”, as sung by Fernando Ortega, here, and “Abide with Me” (nontraditional tune) by Indelible Grace here.