Simeon and Anna (Luke 2:25-40) both recognized Jesus as the Messiah, when he was brought to the temple on the 8th day. They saw the things of the Kingdom. I'm guessing that there were many other people that day, which saw the baby Jesus that did not recognize Him as the Messiah. So, some saw and some didn't see.

What do you see?
Do you just see self?
Do you just see your problems?
Do you see the Kingdom of God?

Some focus on themselves. Oswald Chambers said in My Utmost for His Highest, December 18, "We treat God as if He were a machine designed only to bless us, and we think of Jesus as just another one of the workers."

Many would rather focus on their problems and feel sorry for themselves!

Do you want to see?
Do you see the Kingdom?
People who see what God is doing are not necessarily gifted.
Often it's because they have a desire to see.

Desire and expectation have a lot to do with what you see. God spoke through Jeremiah and said, "And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)

Where does this desire come from?

Don't just have an "enough to get by" mentality.
This desire comes from an appreciation for Him saving you, recognizing how awesome He is, the futility of life with out serving Him, the joy of discovering His purposes for your life, and the excitement of knowing that your life is making a difference for His Kingdom.

Do you see the sin that is hindering the work of the Kingdom in your life? Your sin could be obvious things that we recognize as sin — lying, cheating, complaining, stealing, sexual immorality, gossipping, etc. Or, your sin could include busy-ness, a misuse or over-use of good things, or it could be an attitude issue. In fact, whatever would keep you from seeing the will of God because it distorts your perspective, values, or passion for God becomes a sin hindering your work in the Kingdom.

The Holy Spirit reminds us, "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." (Hebrews 12:1)

Are you seeing? He doesn't want you to just survive. Don't just want to avoid hell. Don't just have a self-centered view of Christianity. Don't just have an "enough to get by" mentality. Don't have a "just as good as most people" attitude. Like Simeon and Anna, seek Him, see Him, see His Kingdom, and serve Him.