Short-Term Thinking, Long-Term Loss

“His followers discussed the meaning of this, saying, ‘He said this because we have no bread.’ Knowing what they were talking about, Jesus asked them, ‘Why are you talking about not having bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your minds closed?’” Mark 8:16-17 (NCV)

When I focus on the wrong things, I miss what God is doing in my life.

When my attention is only on the here and now, I miss God’s long-term plan. When I just think about comfort, I miss out on character. When I concentrate on happiness, I forget holiness. When I just want to enjoy the moment, I may not prepare for eternity.

When my thinking is short-term, I miss seeing the spiritual work God is doing all around me.

This is what happened to the disciples in Mark 8. The Bible says, “Then Jesus left the Pharisees and went in the boat to the other side of the lake. His followers had only one loaf of bread with them in the boat; they had forgotten to bring more. Jesus warned them, ‘Be careful! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod’” (Mark 8:13-15 NCV).

But the disciples missed the point: “His followers discussed the meaning of this, saying, ‘He said this because we have no bread.’ Knowing what they were talking about, Jesus asked them, ‘Why are you talking about not having bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your minds closed?’” (Mark 8:16-17 NCV).

Using yeast as a metaphor, Jesus was trying to teach his disciples a lesson about pride. When you put yeast in dough, the yeast puffs up the dough. It only takes a small amount for this to happen.

Pride in people is similar. Just a little pride can puff me up and quickly take over my life, getting me in all kinds of trouble. But the disciples didn’t understand the deeper meaning—they thought he was talking about lunch!

While Jesus was talking about the need for maturity, his disciples were talking about their next meal. That’s short-term thinking.

Whenever I think short-term, I can’t see the larger picture of what God is doing in my life. So ask God today to give me a glimpse into eternity and to help me experience the hope that comes from seeing his long-term plan.

In summary:

When I focus only on immediate needs or concerns, like the disciples worrying about having no bread, I can easily miss the deeper spiritual lessons God is trying to teach me. In Mark 8, Jesus uses the metaphor of yeast to warn about the destructive nature of pride, but his followers misunderstand, showing how short-term thinking blinds us to God’s greater plan. Like them, when I prioritize comfort, happiness, or the moment, I risk losing sight of character development, holiness, and eternal purpose. To truly grow, I must ask God to shift my perspective from temporary concerns to his long-term, eternal work in my life.

Bottom line:

Don’t allow short-term thinking blind me to God’s deeper work—I need to shift my focus from the temporary to the eternal so I can grow in faith and maturity.