A Grateful Heart Changes Everything
“For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins” 2 Peter 1: 9.
Often the reason we don’t walk in love when we are stressed, but instead react out of frustration, anger, self-pity or disappointment is because we are short-sighted. We are blind, having forgotten that we have been cleansed from our past sins.
To read this passage for context, click here.
The Larger Picture: A Grateful Heart
In other words, in the heat of the moment, when we are tempted to lose our temper, feel sorry for ourself or yield to lust, we are not being mindful of the larger picture.
We are not thinking about the blessings in our life. We’re not thinking about the fact that we’re a forgiven, redeemed child of God.
And we’re not calling to mind the multitude of other ways God has blessed us. Perhaps with a family, health, a good job, etc.
We don’t have a grateful heart.
We are only focusing on the moment. And in that moment things are not going our way. And because we’re short-sighted, and aren’t thinking about the big picture, we reacts in impulsive, fleshly ways.
If we had been thinking about the overall positive direction of our life, and how it’s marked by God’s favor, we would’ve had the strength to resist the temptation brought on by the vexation of the hour.
We would’ve been able to walk in virtue, self-control, godliness, brotherly affection etc.(vs’s 5-7).
We’ve Forgotten Our Blessings
This passage tells us that whoever doesn’t possess these qualities has “forgotten” that he has been cleansed from his past sins. In other words, in the heat of the moment he has repressed the Lord’s goodness toward him.
He is not remembering how the Lord has delivered him, protected him and blessed him. And that’s exactly what happens.
In the heat of the moment, all we can think about is how angry or frustrated or disappointed or sorry for ourselves we feel.
Those emotions fill our mind to such an extent, that we can’t remember that although our present reality is difficult, the overall course of our life is blessed.
This, I believe, is what it means to be “near-sighted”. Someone with this condition only sees what’s right in front of him. And everything else is blurry and out of focus.
If we are walking in all the good qualities previously mentioned, we see what’s in front of us. But we’re also mindful of what’s around us. And it’s what we see around us that enables us to put what right under our nose into perspective.
Near Sighted: Lost Perspective
If we are near-sighted, we’ve lost perspective.
Perspective comes when we see the big picture. And not just what’s right in front of us.
Someone who’s blind, on the other hand doesn’t see anything, not even what’s right in front of him. He reacts to difficult situations according to some unresolved hurt from his past.
He doesn’t even see what’s really going on in the moment. So, he reacts through a filter from some past experience that is not in keeping with reality.
To read another post related to A Grateful Heart Changes Everything, see We Still Need Manna In the Wilderness.
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