How to Fix Your Myopia
Today’s Verse
But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. ~2 Peter 1:9
I am thankful for the ability to see. When I was six years old, I was diagnosed with myopia, or nearsightedness. Nearsightedness is the inability to see things clearly from a far distance. You have to be up very close in order to have a clear visual image. Thankfully, we can be prescribed corrective lenses to fix this problem and allow us to see clearly. In Peter’s day, there were no corrective lenses that a person could wear to correct this visual problem. If you had myopia, you were equivalent to being blind. Peter speaks about spiritual myopia. Spiritual myopia is a problem that we need to identify and correct.
We see the deficiency.
Spiritual myopia is a deficiency in our spiritual life. First, we cannot see very far in our Christian life. It is hard for us to walk by faith because we have a self-imposed, limited vision for our life. We cannot see the potential of God working in us. We cannot see the work of the Holy Spirit. We cannot see ourselves serving God and making a difference. We cannot see victory, but, instead, we see defeat. Second, spiritual myopia blinds us from the fact that we have been purged from our sins and have escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. God saved us in victory. Christians with myopia forget that they do not need to live as slaves under the power of sin, but can live as the free under the power of Christ.
We see the delivery.
First, God has given us His divine power. “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:” This power enables us to live a godly life in the power of God. Second, God has given us exceeding great and precious promises. “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” These promises are in His blessed Word. We have a more sure Word through the Bible. We are able to partake of the divine nature of God though His Word. Jesus said, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” Third, we have been given a Person: this Person is our Lord Jesus Christ! We have the gifts of God that enable us to see above, see around, and see ahead.
We see the diligence.
We must put our faith to work. A victorious spiritual life is one that requires effort on our part. So, we are given the incremental virtues that we are to add to our faith in order to see clearly. We add to our faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. Many of us stop short of reaching the summit of victorious spiritual living or charity because we stop adding. The goal is to move forward by adding a needed spiritual virtue. It takes time in the Word, prayer, submission, diligence, and faith. A victorious Christian life is not a walk in the park. Just like building muscle strength, we must be disciplined and work at it all the time.
We see the dividends.
“For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Fruitfulness is the evidence that we are not under the power of myopia. If you have spiritual myopia or low vision, claim God’s gifts and be diligent in building your faith. Then, watch as you’ll be able to see the things of God clearly.
Have a 20/20 God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Deuteronomy 32-34