Helen Keller was an inspirational figure. 

She was born in 1880 in Alabama. When she was only a toddler she got a high fever. As a result, she became blind and deaf. She couldn’t see or hear. At the time, doctors called it “brain fever.” Today, doctors speculate that it was most likely scarlet fever or meningitis. 

She was a prolific and determined young girl. By the time she was seven, she had developed nearly 60 hand gestures to communicate with the people around her. 

When she was older she said something that was incredibly profound: “The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.”

Think about that for a moment. She knew from first-hand experience how challenging it was to be blind. But to her way of thinking, there was something much worse: being able to use your eyes, but not having true vision.

In this sense, what is “vision”? It’s about seeing the big picture, about knowing what’s truly important, about moving into the future with confidence that you’re headed in the right direction.

The Bible has a lot to say about vision. When people start to believe in God, they are a “new creation.” They start to live by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). Paul prays that “the eyes of your heart may be enlightened” in Ephesians 1:18. When people worry about the details of their daily existence, Jesus encourages them to “seek first [God’s] kingdom and his righteousness” in Matthew 6:33. All of this has to do with “vision”—with seeing the bigger picture, knowing what’s truly important, and moving into the future with faith.

So, what does any of this have to do with you?

All of us have to live our daily lives. There are details. We have rides to catch, groceries to buy, and appointments to keep. 

Through it all, don’t lose your vision. Ours is a God of incredible things. In a world of skepticism, we walk by faith. In a world of anger, we forgive. In a world of hostility, we love. In a world of spin, we tell the truth.

May the eyes of our hearts continue to be enlightened—in our schools and workplaces, in our relationships and conversations, in our homes, and in our own souls.

“The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.”

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Notes and extra content:

–The Up Devotional is published 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) and returns on September 23, 2024.

–“Steel Your Nerve.” There’s a new online publication called “Living in Truth”! The publishers asked me to contribute an article about leadership and I was pleased to do so. You can read it here, and also take some time to check out the various pages.

–Bible quotes are from the NIV.