The Single Eye | AdventAI

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 29, 1863

The Single Eye.

By this term Christ designated the quality of concentrated attention upon an object, and contrasts it with that confused and unsteady condition of mind and heart, when the eye sees "double." In every department of desire and effort, the needfulness of this quality is very apparent. He who is continually changing his business, in the hope of improving his fortunes, seldom attains what he is seeking. The largeness of the crop depends upon the carefulness with which the ground was prepared and the seed sown. Steady industry and continued attention to business never fail of their reward.

No less is this singleness of eye of deep importance in spiritual matters. Reward here is proportionate, likewise, to the amount of determined effort that is put forth. No man can serve two masters. In the nature of things, any attempt to do so must fail. That blessed peace which passes all understanding, comes only to those whose deepest affections are fixed on Jesus, the centre of all spiritual good. It is for want of the "single eye" that so many come short of it. There is an uneasiness about such persons, an unrest and secret dissatisfaction which is plainly manifested, yet often unaccounted for. Their hearts are divided between two objects, and the great end of their religious calling is unattained. Those that "have" shall receive in greater abundance; from those that have not, shall be taken even that which they seem to have. To those whose religious profession is not a pretence, who are not balancing between the world and God, but in simplicity and whole-heartedness are seeking to be faithful to duty and to grow in the likeness of Christ, to them there is added more and more spiritual strength and blessedness. Those who are striving to serve two masters, looking now on the one side, now on the other, find themselves constantly decreasing in vigor and joy, and they are disappointed in the rewards which they hoped for. They are abhorred of Him who spues the lukewarm out of his mouth, and the world soon finds them out and despises them.—Moravian.