You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you. (Isaiah 26:3, NIV)
No one likes to admit a weakness, but even the best professionals can tell you the shortcomings in their game. If they don’t know what they are and work on them, those faults are going to show up at the worst time—when pressure is heaviest.
We can all find physical weaknesses, and we can even name these in some of the top players’ swings. But few accomplished players are worried about the occasional physical mistakes they make. These happen to everyone. What they try hard to control are the mental lapses that undermine even the best laid plans. A momentary lack of focus and a whole tournament’s good work is forfeited.
In the physical, myopia is the optic condition in which a sufferer’s vision is limited. We commonly call this near-sightedness. We joke of it by saying one cannot see past their own shadow—and in severe cases, this may be literally true!
Apart from the physical, myopia has been given additional meaning. We use it to suggest that a person is trapped in a single way of thinking. They lack foresight or discernment; they are not circumspect, which would allow them to view matters from the multiple angles it may take to approach a problem well.
Obviously, myopia in both these senses is a crippling condition. But if our singular focus is placed in the right spot and prevents us from losing sight of that thing that matters most, we can argue that there is such a healthy condition as a “welcome myopia.”
The prophet Isaiah identified this kind of singular vision when he said that those whose minds are stayed on the Lord will be rewarded with perfect peace.
To keep your mind stayed in one place is no mean feat! You have to shut down distractions of both the big kind and the small. The worries of family and business, of church life and neighborhood squabbles, of car repairs and roof leaks, of the day’s deadlines and the month’s finances—every variety of concern can draw our mind away from God.
We know we should resist these tendencies, but how? This is where spiritual disciplines are valuable. Those who make room in the morning, noon, or evening hours (or even all three!) set their minds first on what matters most. And those who commit to regular worship in a local church and regular study, prayer, and mutual ministry in small groups like Links Fellowships have found places to receive encouragement to keep the top priorities at the top.
A stayed mind won’t always come easily, but it’s worth the effort. It keeps us trusting the Lord, and it provides us with peace for every hour and every situation.
—
Jeff Hopper
April 30, 2018
Copyright 2018 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.