2 Peter 1:9a — Don’t Blink

But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind…

Summary: The truth about God is not hard to find. He has given us an entire book about himself. Ignoring the truth is not only possible, it is our natural instinct. 

When Peter says people who do not have the seven qualities he lists are “nearsighted,” he means they refuse to see the truth about God.

This past weekend at our church’s men’s retreat, Ben talked about mental focus. He had us look at some words he had taped up on the wall and then pick one and focus on it. Then he provided a distraction in the form of an airhorn blast. We were surprised by how many of us stayed focused on what we were looking at. Many of us could look at one thing and ignore everything else.

In Matthew 7:3, Jesus says, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” He is referring to our human tendency to focus on the flaws of someone else while ignoring our own.

I struggle with this all the time. When I have a list of things to do, I usually sort it out and prioritize what I need to work on. Why? Because I cannot work on everything all at once. I have to make a choice. (Do I always choose well? Sadly, no…)

Jesus points out this choice in the Matthew passage. To put it another way, he is asking, “Why do you choose to focus on your brother’s shortcomings when you have so many of your own to work on?”

Good question!

Peter is hinting at the same thing. He has given us a list of seven challenges to focus on. These are things that every believer should be proficient at. If we blink, if we take our focus off of these seven things, then we risk stumbling.

Peter is not making a threat here. He is not condemning people who ignore his list. He is sounding a warning. “Hey” he is saying, “Pay attention!”

It is always easier to work on other people’s problems than it is to work on our own. Peter understands this. The night Jesus was betrayed by Judas, Peter was all about fixing the problems of the high priest and his cohorts, with a sword if necessary! (John 18:10) Meanwhile, he could not even stay awake for an hour while Jesus prayed. (Matthew 26:40)

Peter wants us to keep our eyes opened, and focused on the right things.

Application: Keep Peter’s list in mind: goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness (reverence), mutual affection, and love (agapē).

Food for Thought: What do we give up when we focus on the seven qualities Peter lists for us?