‘How many bits of glass are you lumbered with?’ ‘I got millions, but they’re all for fun.’
‘What about the bits you can’t get rid of?’ I went on. ‘I have.’
‘Have what?’
‘Got rid of them.’
‘How come you haven’t got bits of glass?’...
She did not need to think about the answer to my question ‘How come you haven’t got bits of glass?’ She’d had it ready for a long time, simply waiting for the right moment to deliver it. She didn’t make a fuss about delivering it either. ‘Oh, ‘cos I ain’t frightened.’ Now, that’s probably the most missable sentence that can be uttered. Missable because that’s what it’s all about...It’s more than confidence, more than security; it doesn’t belong to ignorance or, for that matter, to knowledge either. It is simply the ability to move out of the ‘I’m the center of all thing’ and to let something or someone take over. And as for Anna, she has simply moved out and let Mister God move in.
Fynn, 1974, “Mister God, This is Anna.”

Ever notice how our experiences shape the lens through which we see the world? It is like the kaleidoscope Fynn gave Anna. As she twisted it around, watching the colorful patterns constantly shift and rearrange, she had this realization; our lives are kind of like that kaleidoscope, a constantly changing mix of experiences. All those little moments and memories from our past get pieced together into this mosaic that tints how we see the whole world. But here is the thing, those memories can also distort the full picture. What if some of those key pieces that shape our perspective are a little warped by false assumptions we have picked up along the way without even realizing it? As followers of Christ, we are supposed to accurately reflect God’s image to the world. But how can we strip away beliefs that end up distorting the truth about God Himself, about who we are, and about others too? The courageous move is taking an honest look at where our strongly-held beliefs come from. When we align our beliefs with the wisdom in Scripture, we gain clarity. As we admit and dismantle those barriers of bias, the fog clears and we gain that deep connection in community and the spiritual freedom to fully embrace our calling.

The Weight of Colored Glass
Our brains are hardwired with filters that help us process information quickly. However, we also unconsciously pick up assumptions and beliefs that cloud how we perceive truth along the journey. They function like tinted lenses that distort reality based on our subjective experiences, values, and the cultural context we grew up in. Everyone sees things a little differently. Some diversity can be illuminating for sure, but often, we do not even stop to examine our biases, and they end up limiting our spiritual wisdom and ability to connect across these differences. We even project human flaws onto God, imagining Him as this angry, distant, unloving deity, when that contradicts His true nature. Or we assume Scripture guarantees things like wealth or never getting sick, then resent God when hard times hit. John cautions not to “love the world or the things in the world” (1 John 2:15, ESV). Therefore, our beliefs need to go through the filter of discernment to make sure they line up with God’s standards, not the world’s. Paul says in Colossians 3:12-14, that we are supposed to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Romans 12:2 encourages us not to just go along with the patterns of this world but to be transformed by renewing our minds. Then we can discern and embrace God’s good, pleasing, and perfect will. When we let God rewrite beliefs that were just scripted by our culture, pain, or other junk, we can finally experience that peace that surpasses understanding from Colossians 3:15.

The Risks of Misconceptions
However, here is where it gets tricky, if we arrogantly believe we have arrived at perfect doctrinal purity without staying humble and open to correction, the truth gets obscured behind misconceptions. Our long-held assumptions function like a tinted glass distorting revelation. Paul commended the believers in Berea for fact-checking even his teachings against Scripture to confirm alignment (Acts 17:11). Proudly trusting our gut impulses over carefully studying God’s Word in context also creates a massive blind spot. Even more seriously, misconceptions about who God truly is at His core can completely undermine faith itself. Tragically, some false beliefs even enable spiritual abuse by setting up these crazy rigid standards for earning God’s approval that no human could live up to. Besides damaging relationships and enabling injustice, leaning on unexamined biases instead of prayerful study of Scripture stunts our spiritual growth. As we shed those tinted lenses of assumption, we finally get the freedom to accurately connect with the God who is always true, not abandoning us in hard times, not trying to play gatekeeping games, but offering a real relationship. With our view cleared by humility and wise guidance, we can finally see Him as He truly is.

The Journey of Releasing the Stubborn Grip of Unshakable Bits
In Mister God, This is Anna, little Anna uses the metaphor of a yellow flower absorbing every color except yellow. She concludes that the flower’s true color must be all the colors it absorbs, not the colors it reflects. Unlike the selective flower, Anna viewed God as embracing everything, so much so that it became impossible to see Him. This simple yet profound insight touches on God’s all- encompassing nature, far beyond our human understanding yet incredibly worthy of continual pursuit. His ways supersede our understanding (Isaiah 55:8-9). Yet through Christ, we know His boundless riches (Ephesians 3:8). At the core, He wants a relationship with us. While we cannot grasp the fullness of His infinite being, we cling to His invitation in Jeremiah: “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13, ESV). If accumulated “colored glass” threatens the perception of spiritual reality, how do we responsibly examine and remove bias? Like expert sailors guiding ships through storms, we must hone skills for navigating deceitful currents of bias-threatening perception. Thus, we plot this heading by:

1. Anchoring in Scripture: Scripture actively exposes our innermost thoughts and intentions (Hebrews 4:12). God’s Word also recalibrates as an active Compass, grounding us in truth when we drift off course. The study in context acts as a ballast, preventing isolated verses from capsizing integrity.
2. Consulting the Holy Spirit: Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would guide us into all truth (John 16:13-14). As our inward Navigator, He highlights the hazards of assumptions we have normalized, granting courage to acknowledge what we would rather ignore.
3. Examining Influences: To dismantle distorted thinking, name troublesome values instilled by family, culture, and pain. 2 Corinthians 10:5 (ESV), “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” Recognize they do not define our identity in Christ.
4. Community Course Correction: Attempting this alone often leads astray. In a Christian community, we restore wanderers with compassion and wisdom, steering each other toward truth (Galatians 6:1-2; Hebrews 10:24-25). Life is better in wise interdependence than alone (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). As iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17), humility to receive loving feedback hones character, keeping us from a shipwreck.

Of course, only God’s power transforms and completes His renewal work within (Philippians 1:6). But engaging these practices positions us to hear His voice above deceptive storms. We fix our eyes on Jesus, the Beacon guiding us safely home.

Core Spiritual Principles for Testing Assumptions
As we evaluate perspectives, Scripture gives us diagnostic principles to assess truth claims against God’s character. We can compare viewpoints to these fundamental biblical values to determine if they align with the ethics modeled by Jesus:

1. Humility – “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble’” (1 Peter 5:5, ESV). God cares about the heart attitude behind beliefs. Do convictions stem from a proud refusal to be wrong or a humble openness to correction?
2. Unity/Harmony – “Live in harmony with one another...so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” (Romans 12:16, 18, ESV). Do beliefs breed harmony or disunity/resentment between groups?
3. Compassion – “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts.” (Colossians 3:12, ESV). Do paradigms emphasize compassion, or legalism judging those who disagree?
4. Character Consistency – “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7, ESV). Does this align with how God relates to people?
5. Liberation – “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1, ESV). Does the belief free and empower people for Christlike living?

Evaluating assumptions against these diagnostic questions can reveal areas requiring realignment for manifesting Jesus’ heart.

Moving from the Tinted to the Transparent
As beings designed to reflect God’s accurate image, accumulating “bits of colored glass” distorts our representation of Him. Clinging to unwarranted assumptions filters the perception of truth and breeds division. By courageously examining presuppositions in scriptural light, we shed obstructing agendas and ideologies. As we open our minds to fuller understanding through spiritual disciplines and accountability, a radical transformation occurs. We move from vision tinted by unwarranted assumptions to seeing through transparent glass. Paul captured this conviction: “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:12, ESV). In releasing bias, we edge closer to perceiving ourselves, others, and God Himself through an undistorted lens as He designed. Aligning perspective with truth manifests connections and purpose as impossible while viewing life through faulty assumptions. As we gain greater clarity and understanding of God’s truth, we more fully embrace our calling to accurately represent God’s Kingdom. With humility and openness, let us continuously draw nearer to God and experience ongoing transformation (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Seeking clarity and aligning our beliefs with God’s truth is a courageous, lifelong journey. It requires humility to continually examine our assumptions and be open to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. It demands patience and trust in God’s timing as He gently exposes the distorted lenses we unknowingly view reality through. But imagine the freedom and intimacy with God that comes from removing those barriers. Imagine seeing others and the world around you with the undistorted clarity of God’s perspective. Imagine how much richer your relationship with Christ will become when you release the misguided notions and judgments that cloud your perception. The path is not easy, but it leads to a deeper understanding of God’s love, a truer sense of purpose, and the courage to embrace the calling He has for you. Take the first step today by humbly asking the Lord to reveal any colored glass limiting your spiritual vision. The journey will transform you in ways you cannot yet fathom.