Carol McClain

How to See Loveliness: Put on God’s Blinders

by Carol McClain     @carol_mcclain

We ate in a quaint restaurant with country decorations. Over our table hung something that looked like a Superwoman’s bra. Knowing this couldn’t be, we asked our waitress.

“Mule blinders,” she said.

Although my picture doesn’t display mules, they looked something like the above picture. the only way a mule could see, as far as we could tell, was to look down. With the direction of the farmer, the mule wouldn’t be distracted by things around him and would plow a straight line.

Horses, especially in the city with traffic and pedestrians, wear blinders that block their peripheral vision. This way, they don’t panic.

It got me to thinking about us. When we look at things not good for us, we get distracted. Trying driving down the road while looking at the scenery to the side. Where your vision goes, so, too, does the car.

Our mind is similar. Dwell on pornography, your sex-life becomes skewed. Judge others, you see only their weakness and miss out on their strengths. Believe the worst will happen, you’ll live in despair. Our thoughts determine our happiness.

God gave us blinders. When we put on the mind of Christ and only look on, “…whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” Philippians 4:8.

What can ruin our lives if we see the beauty and honor and purity and loveliness and excellence of all God’s given us?

Nothing.

As for me and my house—we’ll wear blinders.