May 31st, 2026
By: Gabi Pope
A few weeks ago, I came across a song called Pharisee, and there’s a line in it that I can’t seem to get off my mind: “Like John, would I be by His side. Or like Peter, would I just deny? Would I be so stuck in my mind that I never opened my eyes?”
If I’m honest, I want to say I’d be like John! The one who stayed close to Jesus, the one who didn’t run when things got hard, the one who remained near even at the cross. I want to believe my faith would be that steady, that loyal, that unshakable. But when I really think about it, I see parts of Peter in me too. There are moments where fear gets louder than my faith. Moments where I stay quiet when I should speak up!! Moments where I care more about how I’m perceived than who I belong to…please tell me I’m not alone in those feelings?
And then there’s that last line: “Would I be so stuck in my mind that I never opened my eyes?” That one hit deeper than I expected. Because sometimes, I get so caught up in my own thoughts with overthinking, worrying, doubting… that I completely miss what God is doing right in front of me! I can be present physically, but spiritually unaware. I can be there in the moment, but my heart isn’t in it.
It made me think about the Pharisees. They knew Scripture, they followed the rules, they looked the part. But somehow, they still missed Jesus when He was standing right in front of them! And that’s what scares me the most, not failing loudly, but missing Him quietly. Missing His voice because I’m too distracted, missing His presence because I’m too busy, missing His truth because I’m too wrapped up in my own mind!!
Lately, my prayer has been simple: “God, open my eyes.” Not just to see Him, but to recognize Him! Not just to know about Him, but to truly walk with Him! Not just to look like I have faith, but to actually live it out in a real and honest way.
I don’t want to be someone who knows all the right things but misses the point. I don’t want to be so consumed by my own thoughts that I lose sight of His heart. I want to stay close like John, be restored like Peter. But more than anything, I want to have eyes that are fully aware of who Jesus is and what He’s doing in my life and in others lives!
Maybe you’ve felt that too. Maybe you’ve wondered where you’d stand, or if you’ve been missing what God is trying to show you. The good news is, we don’t have to stay stuck there. God is still drawing us close. He’s still opening eyes, still restoring hearts. All we have to do is be willing to see!
So here’s my challenge for each of us, don’t just go through the motions. Don’t just think about God, look for Him, slow down and invite Him into our thoughts instead of letting them consume us. Don’t let our mind keep us from what our heart was created for.
“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
2 Corinthians 10:5
A few weeks ago, I came across a song called Pharisee, and there’s a line in it that I can’t seem to get off my mind: “Like John, would I be by His side. Or like Peter, would I just deny? Would I be so stuck in my mind that I never opened my eyes?”
If I’m honest, I want to say I’d be like John! The one who stayed close to Jesus, the one who didn’t run when things got hard, the one who remained near even at the cross. I want to believe my faith would be that steady, that loyal, that unshakable. But when I really think about it, I see parts of Peter in me too. There are moments where fear gets louder than my faith. Moments where I stay quiet when I should speak up!! Moments where I care more about how I’m perceived than who I belong to…please tell me I’m not alone in those feelings?
And then there’s that last line: “Would I be so stuck in my mind that I never opened my eyes?” That one hit deeper than I expected. Because sometimes, I get so caught up in my own thoughts with overthinking, worrying, doubting… that I completely miss what God is doing right in front of me! I can be present physically, but spiritually unaware. I can be there in the moment, but my heart isn’t in it.
It made me think about the Pharisees. They knew Scripture, they followed the rules, they looked the part. But somehow, they still missed Jesus when He was standing right in front of them! And that’s what scares me the most, not failing loudly, but missing Him quietly. Missing His voice because I’m too distracted, missing His presence because I’m too busy, missing His truth because I’m too wrapped up in my own mind!!
Lately, my prayer has been simple: “God, open my eyes.” Not just to see Him, but to recognize Him! Not just to know about Him, but to truly walk with Him! Not just to look like I have faith, but to actually live it out in a real and honest way.
I don’t want to be someone who knows all the right things but misses the point. I don’t want to be so consumed by my own thoughts that I lose sight of His heart. I want to stay close like John, be restored like Peter. But more than anything, I want to have eyes that are fully aware of who Jesus is and what He’s doing in my life and in others lives!
Maybe you’ve felt that too. Maybe you’ve wondered where you’d stand, or if you’ve been missing what God is trying to show you. The good news is, we don’t have to stay stuck there. God is still drawing us close. He’s still opening eyes, still restoring hearts. All we have to do is be willing to see!
So here’s my challenge for each of us, don’t just go through the motions. Don’t just think about God, look for Him, slow down and invite Him into our thoughts instead of letting them consume us. Don’t let our mind keep us from what our heart was created for.
“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
2 Corinthians 10:5
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