What Lens Are You Looking Through?
Seeing Clearly Through Scripture
Have you ever considered the lens through which you view the world? Is it shaped by culture, feelings, personal experience—or by God’s unchanging Word? One of the most important questions we can ask ourselves is this: Do I view life through my own perspective, or through God’s truth?
Gary Larson’s Farside comic "Bernie the Bellmaker" illustrates this concept in a humorous yet profound way. In the cartoon, Bernie is tasked with forging the Liberty Bell—a national symbol of freedom and purpose. The issue? Every bell in Bernie’s shop has a crack in it. Why? Because one lens in Bernie’s glasses is cracked. He doesn’t even realize it, but everything he creates is flawed because he’s viewing his work through a broken lens.
Sadly, many people approach life the same way. They rely on their own broken understanding rather than seeking God’s wisdom. Proverbs 14:12 (NKJV) warns us:
“There is a way that seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of death.”
When we lean on our own perspective, we distort reality. But when we turn to God’s Word, we gain a clear, accurate, and truthful lens through which to view the world. Scripture must become our foundation, or we risk building beliefs, relationships, and choices that are cracked and flawed—just like Bernie’s bells.
Genesis 1–4 is a perfect place to begin re-aligning our worldview with God's:
Genesis 1:1 (NKJV):
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
This tells us that God is the Creator, not man. The world doesn’t revolve around us.
Genesis 1:27 (NKJV):
“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
We learn our identity and design come from God, not society or personal preference.
Genesis 2:24 (NKJV):
“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”
Here God defines marriage and the roles of men and women.
Genesis 3:6-7 (NKJV):
We see what happens when we trust ourselves and ignore God’s command. Sin enters the world, and with it: shame, separation, and brokenness.
Genesis 4:7 (NKJV):
“If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door.”
God warns Cain—and us—that sin is always waiting. But God also provides the way to overcome.
The world says, “Follow your heart.” But Scripture says:
“The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9, NKJV)
So what lens are you using?
The solution isn’t to trust ourselves—it’s to trust God’s Word.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105, NKJV)
When we put on the lens of Scripture, everything changes. We see clearly who God is, who we are, why the world is broken, and the hope we have through Christ.
Don’t be like Bernie the Bellmaker—blind to your own faulty vision. Go to the source. Go to the Word. Let God’s truth correct your lens.
Special thanks to Carl Ballard for the use of the Bernie the Bellmaker comic in his Genesis series—be sure to watch his videos for deeper insight into viewing life through the lens of Scripture.
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