A beautiful song from a classic movie, The Prince of Egypt, is called “Through Heaven’s Eyes.” Essentially, the song highlights understanding what it looks like to view our lives through an eternal lens, knowing the role we have—a thread in the tapestry contributing to God’s grand design—while also humbly understanding our role is not more important than others. As the lyrics suggest, a stone on the top of the mountain is not more important than the one that forms the base.
Understanding our Role as a Single Part of God’s Great Design
“A single thread in a tapestry though its color brightly shines, can never see its purpose in the pattern of the grand design.”
Looking at Our Life Through an Eternal Perspective
“So how can you see what your life is worth or where your value lies? You can never see through the eyes of man; You must look at your life— Look at your life through heaven’s eyes.”
The Ultimate Example of Humility
This song beautifully echoes the life of a person in the Bible who fully understood his role, but knew exactly when to step back and make room for the One who deserves all our glory. Just like the single thread in the tapestry, John the Baptist knew he wasn’t the main event, but rather a part of a grander plan.
A Witness Sent to Testify Concerning the Light
“There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.” (John 1:6-8)
John was sent to testify about Jesus—the light of all mankind:
“Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:3-5)
We see the true depth of John’s perspective when his own ministry began to shift. As John 3:22-30 details:
“After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized (This was before John was put in prison). An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. They came to John and said to him, ‘Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.’
To this John replied, ‘A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, “I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.” The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less.'”
When John’s disciples came to him in great concern over losing their ministry as crowds flocked to Jesus, John calmly reminded them, “You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’” He beautifully compares himself to the groomsman at a wedding—waiting and listening for the groom, and filled with complete joy just to hear his voice.
Viewing Our Own Lives Through Heaven’s Eyes
By looking at his life through an eternal lens rather than human insecurity, John reminds us of a few key lessons for our own lives:
- We are called to point people to Jesus: Our ultimate mission is to direct attention to the Light, not to ourselves.
- We must play our part: John recognized his specific role as preparing the way for Jesus. He didn’t diminish his role in God’s kingdom, but he didn’t overstep it either.
- We are not the main focus, Jesus is: He must increase and be magnified in people’s lives, while we decrease.
When we stop looking through the eyes of man and start looking through heaven’s eyes, we find the same joy John found—the joy of being an intentionally woven thread in God’s masterpiece.
Graceful Strides 