Take Off the Cone

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.

I Corinthians 16:13

Our dog, Duke, is aging, and with age comes health problems. He recently had surgery to remove a tumor from his eyelid. Afterward, he had to wear “the cone of shame” around his neck to protect his eye.  

The initial cone Duke received was solid blue. Therefore, when wearing the cone, Duke had no peripheral vision. He ran into furniture, doors, trees... He was uncomfortable, hesitant to move around, and downright miserable! We eventually borrowed a cone that had transparent plastic “windows,” which enabled Duke to move around without stumbling.

Have you ever stumbled or been blindsided because your spiritual focus was limited?

Peter wrote his first letter to Christians suffering persecution because they were followers of Jesus. As he closed his letter, he encouraged the believers, Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Peter exhorted Christians to remain alert, to watch out, and to be ready. The Christian who is fully absorbed in earthly matters is wearing a cone. He has limited spiritual vision and can be easily blindsided by the schemes of the devil.

The Greek word for “alert” describes a person crossing a river while stepping on stones. This would require careful stepping to avoid falling into the water. Our “stepping stones” are the truths in God’s Word. To guard against stumbling, our feet (our faith) must be firmly planted in God’s Word.

As you go through your day, are you spiritually alert to the schemes of the devil? What are you doing to establish God’s truths in your heart and mind?

Lord, keep my feet firmly planted in your Word and my spiritual eyes open so I do not stumble.

Jan Burkhart