Today’s Post By: Rae Lynn DeAngelis
As a child I remember being fascinated with my grandfather’s magnifying glass used for reading small print. I loved playing with it anytime the adults were occupied in the other room.
Grandpa had a couple of magnifiers, if my memory serves me correctly. One was round, the other rectangular in shape with a light. Pressing the button would engage a small beacon of light to illuminate subject matter. Of course, I wasn’t using it to enlarge print on a page. I was more interested in looking at things like the leather on my grandfather’s chair or the carpet fibers beneath my feet. I discovered that the further I held the magnifying glass from an object, the more warped the image appeared.
As an adult I often find myself looking at life through what seems like a magnifying glass. I have very high expectations, especially for myself. It’s a quality I’m not particularly proud of because it makes my life miserable. I spend hours on a task that should only take minutes. For example, I can write, rewrite, proof, and write again a devotion like this one, trying to formulate words to meet the high standard of excellence I’ve set for myself.
It’s a curse!
I waste precious moments trying to redo that which was (in all likelihood) done well-enough the first time.
As I think about what drives my passion for such perfectionism, I have to be honest; it stems from pride and insecurity – two qualities unbecoming of a Jesus follower. In all honesty, I’m looking for the approval of others, seeking to control the world around me, hoping to find peace. Unfortunately, it’s a farce – a ruse cleverly deployed by the enemy.
While peace and security are honorable qualities to aspire towards, I’m going about it all wrong. Human control leads to chaos because our perception and judgment have become warped by a broken worldview, much like the distortion created by my grandfather’s magnifying glass. Peace (the kind that is lasting) can only be found in one place—Jesus.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)
There is a way to experience peace on earth, but the way to discover it is to shake off our human impulse to control the things around us and, instead, surrender to the One who knows exactly how to handle every detail of our lives.
“Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you.” (Job 22:21)
