The Dusty Spiritual Lenses—The Introduction

How often do we clean our spiritual lenses? How often do we put our perspective on ourselves or on what others think of us? “Hi, I am Pastor Andrew. I am a people-pleaser who struggled with suicidal thoughts and actions in my high school years.” For so long, I had a physical camera’s perspective on my life, focusing on myself and my outward appearance as others see it. When we pose in front of the physical camera, we try to get our best outward appearance. However, how often do we pull our spiritual lenses off the dusty shelf and put them on our cameras to take a selfie of ourselves? We might be surprised by what we see. In today’s sermon, we will analyze three poses or postures in the biblical sense that our dusty spiritual lenses may enable us to recognize that our inward poses are not reflective of what God created us to be, namely, his masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10). These three poses can be found in Matthew 6:1-15 and Galatians 1:10, namely, in the Lord’s Prayer and one of the pauline epistles.

First, a people-centered pose is not the way to go because you are adding other things to Jesus. It is Jesus only. Matthew 6:1 shows that the Pharisees prayed and gave “Before other people in order to be seen by them.”  This is a sign that they were focused on their outward appearance rather than their inner one. We are not called to be people-pleasers in front of the Spiritual lenses that God is taking a picture of us. Another key verse in this topic of people-centered pose is Galatians 1:10. Galatians 1:10 states, "For am I seeking the favor of men, or of God? or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ." When we minister to others, are we doing it to please God or to please ourselves? Are we putting ourselves before Christ when we minister to others? Sometimes, I see professors and pastors more worried about getting doctrinal answers right instead of ministering to others. We should not put others above Christ's approval. How often do we allow pride to well inside us and led us to hide our most vulnerable self to help minister to others. How often do we live a Jesus plus lifestyle.

Second, a self-centered pose is not the way to view yourself when you are a Child of the One True King. First, it leads to pride. Matthew 6:5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others.” How often do we well up with pride in ourselves when we fill our minds with religious tradition instead of pursuing a relationship with God?” In First John 2:15-17 (NASB), it states, "Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and its lusts; but he one does the will of God lives forever." The self-centered lifestyle is not a way to do the will of God. We must surrender our will to God alone who is the author and perfecter of our faith.

Third, the Christ-centered pose is the one to live by because the other two lenses led to a Jesus-plus lifestyle. Matthew 6:9-15 showcases some truths. First, we must give God reference and your adoring love. Second, God will forgive us our spiritual debts. Third, His will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. He will revolutionize your life if you give him the reins and do not live a Jesus-plus lifestyle. He wants 100% of your soul, not just 50%. You cannot live both for God and for your addictions. You are either all in or all out.

My Short Testimony

In 2017, my lens got fogged over with the spiritual dust of self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and actions. I served in my local church. I read my Bible. I prayed somewhat regularly. I thought I was fine living a Jesus-plus lifestyle. No harm, but my little sins turned into bigger sins, and it led me to the Emergency room in 2017. I learned some valuable lessons from that trial.  I thought to myself for a long time, "You cannot follow God and struggle with suicidal thoughts and actions because you are putting Jesus on the back burner of your life."

I used to be ashamed of this past mistake. “It really is God’s, Amazing Grace.” These words from Paul really resonated with me in Ephesians 2:8-9 "For by grace, you have been saved." It is by the power of Christ's grace that freed me from the bondage of my sin that easily entangles me. In 2026, I did something different to try to get over reliving my suicide attempt repeatedly in my mind. It was like a lyric to my worst song played repeatedly in my mind. It was forced exposure therapy—being in the same hospital as the one I was in when I tried to commit suicide. However, this time I was visiting my grandma in the hospital. I was always fearful of going into the Hospital because I did not want to relive my past. I wanted to be free from my past. However, living in fear is not how you can be free from your past. We are lost without Jesus Christ in our lives. Sometimes, we can even put Jesus Christ on dusty shelf, never going back to that shelf.

Jesus is not meant to be on the back burner of our lives. He is a living, breathing son of God who rescued us from our spiritual warfare. In 2026, while I was sitting in the hospital, I was reflecting and thought to myself “I am finally free.” I understand that at that moment, spiritual warfare is common among believers. I thought all this time I was a bad Christian by making my past mistakes, even when I had a relationship with Jesus Christ. I also realized Spiritual warfare is always going to be part of my life in one way or another. However, we must press on. It is truly God’s amazing grace that helped me overcome my spiritual warfare, the thorn in my side as Paul put it. Jesus is truly with us during suffering. Jesus has a unique plan for each of you.

Your story is not over. God has a plan for each of you (Jeremiah 29:11). My urge to you, men, is to embrace God’s amazing grace, which will help us amid spiritual warfare. Spiritual warfare will not go away while we are trapped in our mortal bodies. However, we have a band of brothers that can link arms with us and help us get through spiritual attack. You do not have to go through spiritual warfare alone. The Jesus Centered Life lens helped me overcome this trial.

Reflective Questions:

1) Are you willing to lay all your desires at the foot of the cross?

2) Are you willing to be a living testimony of Jesus Christ?

3) Are you willing to lay down your spiritual debts at the foot of the cross so that you will be forgiven by Jesus? Or will you continue living a Jesus-plus lifestyle?

4) How often do you live a Jesus-plus pose rather than a Jesus-centered pose?

5) Have you accepted Jesus Christ as the only thing that matters in your life, and that is the pose that you want to be seen in the spiritual lenses?

6) Are your spiritual lenses getting dirty on your spiritual self with spiritual dust, like lustful thoughts, pride, anger, impatience, self-agony, depression, worry, and other spiritual dust that fogs over the lens and causes the lens to see that your pose is a people-centered pose or a self-centered pose?

7) How often do we partake in the lustful desires of this world? How often do we fill ourselves with pride and lust and have a self-centered mindset?