The Responsibility of Clarity

I was around eleven years old when I first started wearing glasses. For a while, I had been struggling to see the whiteboard at school, squinting and guessing my way through lessons. Eventually, my mum and I made a trip to the optician. During the appointment, the optician explained that I needed glasses and that they would help me see more clearly. I was excited. Firstly, I thought I was about to look like the coolest girl in school, and second (most importantly), because I’d finally be able to see properly.

The wait between my first appointment and picking up my glasses felt like an age. Two weeks later, we returned to collect them. To say I was excited doesn’t even fully capture how I felt. My vision was about to change. I sat in the chair, and the optician handed me the glasses.

Like something out of a movie, I looked around and uttered, “Whoa, I can see.”

Everything was suddenly bright and sharp. The world was in 4K. I was amazed that I had been walking around thinking my fuzzy vision was normal all this time. In all the excitement, the optician delivered a gentle warning:

“Gabriella, your eyes are used to a different level of sight. It may take time to adjust; it’s just part of the process. You’ll need to take care of your glasses to avoid scratches and strain. You might feel dizzy, and things might feel a bit off as your eyes adapt.”

Honestly, I didn’t pay much attention (which is probably why that first pair of glasses had all manner of scratches in the first few months). I was careless, I banged them against every surface and rarely put them in a case. I could see, and that felt like enough.

But over the next few months, and now, more than fifteen years later, I understand what he meant:

Clarity doesn’t just give you sight. It gives you responsibility.

Wearing glasses changed more than my vision, it has ultimately changed how I live. I had to adjust to something always sitting on my face. I had to carry a case. I had to clean the lenses. I had to maintain what helped me see…and more than that, I began to notice things I hadn’t seen before.

One afternoon, shortly after getting my glasses, I walked into my bedroom expecting to admire the pictures I had up on my wall. Instead, I saw every spiderweb in the corners and the layer of dust on my shelves. I sat on my bed stunned because this was all the same room, but I had never truly seen it until I put on my glasses. I hadn’t asked for my new level of vision to show me dirty corners or dusty shelves, but that was the cost of clarity, and with it came the responsibility to clean up what I’d been missing. I couldn’t unsee the dust or the mess.

And it’s the same with spiritual clarity.

When we ask God to help us see clearly—about a situation, a relationship, a decision, we’re also asking for a responsibility or instruction that comes with that new vision. Take the story in Mark 8, where Jesus heals a blind man:

“Jesus led him out of the village, spat on his eyes, laid His hands on him, and asked, ‘Do you see anything?’ The man replied, ‘I see men, for I see them like trees walking.’ Then Jesus placed His hands on the man’s eyes again, and his sight was fully restored—he saw everything clearly.” (Mark 8:23–25 NKJV)

But then Jesus said:

“Then He sent him away to his house, saying, ‘Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town.’” (Mark 8:26 NKJV)

Why?

Because clarity wasn’t just about restored vision. It came with a new assignment. A new direction. A new way of walking. The man couldn’t return to his old life as if nothing had changed. With clarity came the responsibility to live differently. If he had chosen to ignore the instruction that came with the clarity, there would have undoubtedly been consequences.

"If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction, even their prayers are detestable" (Proverbs 28:9 NIV)

So what are you asking God for clarity about? Have you thought about the responsibility that clarity will bring?

Are you asking whether to take that job?

You might be praying, “God, show me if this is the right move.” If the answer is yes, the clarity might also expose spiritual resistance, or other issues, that you will need to confront alongside your new job.

Are you asking if this relationship is from God?

Perhaps you're asking God for confirmation, and He clarifies, “No, this isn’t your future spouse. I’m calling you to a season of singleness so you can seek Me.” That clarity might reveal deep-seated heart issues, or show you habits you never noticed. You might even face the cost of letting go of routines or people, like brunches with friends who are hyper-fixated on marriage.

Are you sensing the need to leave a toxic environment?

Clarity might show you how long you’ve tolerated gossip, jealousy, or spiritual compromise. Once God opens your eyes, staying isn’t an option. The cost is change. The responsibility is walking away and trusting Him for something better.

Clarity from God calls you to act.

Clarity from God calls you to clean up what’s been overlooked.

Clarity from God calls you to steward what you now see.

So sis, as we pray and fast, let’s not just casually say, “God, give me clarity” without understanding what we’re really asking. Instead let’s pray:

“God, I am seeking clarity in [name the area], and I’m ready to carry the responsibility that comes with it. Even if it costs me. Even if it stretches me. Even if it changes everything.”

In love,

Gabriella Mwedzi