“Focus on remedies, not faults.” -Jack Nicklaus, retired professional golfer

Peripheral vision is the area of your visual field that surrounds your central vision. 

As people suppress the knowledge of God through worldly influence, spiritual darkness grows and a psychological inversion occurs in thinking; God becomes smaller and they become larger. God is moved to the periphery, through denial of his existence or distortion of his character. Self-importance and godless self-confidence grow stronger.  A mere glance at a day’s life will reveal ways in which spiritual engagement may be less prioritized: 

The pervasive use of technology and social media creates constant distractions that can detract from spiritual practices. With entertainment and information readily available, people may find less time for contemplation, prayer, or community worship.

Science and rationalism may be emphasized in education while discounting writing, legal knowledge, moral clarity, and gracious leadership. This can lead to a generation that views faith as less relevant or unnecessary in understanding the world. 

For those who do not place God at the center, it is not enough to push God to the side; it is often replaced with mocking God. Presented as comedic routines, humor is utilized to criticize religious beliefs, portraying them as outdated or irrational. 

Today, the truth of God’s sovereignty and His rule over all things are not in the minds of most. At best, it is in the far periphery of a day’s doings. Take encouragement from the great preacher Charles H. Spurgeon, who kept Christ center and the message of the gospel burning,  

“I sometimes wonder that you do not get tired of my preaching, because I do nothing but hammer away on this one nail. With me it is, year after year, ‘None but Jesus! None but Jesus!” 

Prayer: 

Almighty God, May I hammer away with focused vision,  “None but Jesus! None but Jesus!” day after day. Amen