The Short-Sighted Heart
—Jesus Made Me Understand My Life
We've considered the self-centred heart. Now let's think about the short-sighted heart.
Jesus told of a man whose attitude to life was short-sighted. He said to himself, "Self, you have enough stored away for years. Take life easy. Eat, drink, and be merry!" But God said to him, "You fool!" because that very night the unwary man was going to die. The life to come was not the many years he thought he had in this world, but an eternity in another world he had not even considered (Luke 12:16-40).
The righteous who gain eternal life and escape hell fire, are the self-sacrificing —whereas the self-centred and self-serving ironically do themselves the ultimate disservice. They're so short sighted they don't see Jesus, and don't see his judgment coming upon them. "Lord, when did we see you...? (Matthew 25:31-46).
Changing the Short-sighted Heart
1 Read the Warnings
You may have to get up close to the many warning notices in the Bible, but they are not in fine print. They're obvious enough for even the spiritually short-sighted to see them and take notice.
- "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes to see not, ears to hear not, down to this very day" (Romans 11:8)
- "Don't be slothful in diligence; be fervent in spirit serving the Lord" (Romans 12:11)
- "Concerning Christ we have much to say, but it is difficult to explain, because you have become slow of hearing" (Hebrews 5:11)
- "Don't be slothful, be imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises" (Hebrews 6:12)
- "O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken" (Luke 24:25)
- "Because lawlessness is increased, the love of many will grow cold" (Matthew 24:12)
- "Because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of my mouth" (Revelation 3:16)
- "She who gives herself to wanton pleasure is dead while she lives!" (1Timothy 5:6).
- "Awake sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine upon you" (Ephesians 5:14)
2 Lift Your Mental Horizon
Some think, "I'm pressing on the upward way, new heights I'm gaining every day" —but they are thinking of a better job; higher sales and production figures; wage rises; bigger homes; fancier cars; more exciting sex; more leisure; more security and independence; more travel; going to classier restaurants; better scores in golf; higher educational qualifications; more recognition and power in the community; more satisfying instant coffee...
You can pursue those things without sin —you don't lie, steal, fornicate, or kill to get them. But you can get so focussed on them that your real joy and glory is lost from sight.
Jesus Christ lifts our mental horizon to "seek those things which are above". Rather than short-sightedly seeking earthly things, our lives are "hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:1-4).
This far-sightedness doesn't mean you are too heavenly minded to be of any earthly use. It means you live a more fruitful life because your heart is set upon God's eternal purpose for you (Luke 7:30, Mark 8:36). To neglect or pervert that purpose is the greatest sin of all. To pursue it is the greatest satisfaction of all.
3 Get Eye Ointment From Jesus
Christ can give you "eye ointment that you may see". He can enlighten your heart's eyes that you may see his glory and your inheritance in the ages to come (Revelation 3:18, Ephesians 1:17-18, Ephesians 2:6-7).