Signs & WondersSample

Blind Spots

The dating world can be very confusing when you aren’t good at interpreting signals. Because we are often not forthright with our intentions, we tend to let people know we’re interested through these signals. We make eye contact, smile, appear to be super interested in everything they say, laugh at every single joke they make, talk about being free on Friday nights, as well as a host of other flirtatious methods. However, in order for these signals to have their intended effect, they have to be appropriately received. Many of us have fallen victim to our own inability to receive those signals and either miss good opportunities or find ourselves in awkward situations. So, we try our best to develop the necessary senses to accurately perceive these signals and what they mean. 

The ability to accurately perceive the reality behind a certain situation is important in many areas of life, but especially in our spiritual walk. We know that our God is working and active in our communities and in our personal lives on a daily basis, but we don’t always have the senses to see how. Either we are too distracted by the hustle of daily life, or we simply haven’t come to understand the ways in which God moves. In John 9:1-41, we see the Pharisees fall victim to their own spiritual blindness as they criticize Jesus for healing a blind man on the Sabbath. 

The irony is not lost on us as we see this blind man--now having his sight restored by Jesus--see the truth of God while the religious leaders completely miss it. Because of their inability to appropriately see and understand the work of God, they make Jesus’ miracle about another issue entirely instead of focusing on the incredible things that God is doing in the present moment. 

Jesus’ point is that God alone has the ability to open minds and hearts to the truth of the Gospel message. Here, we see an interesting paradox: those who already consider themselves as good will often miss what God is offering, while those who know their sinfulness will hear the gospel and rejoice that God has made a way for them to come to know Him. Even as believers, we often develop blind spots to how God is moving and can miss how God wants us to participate in His mission. 

Questions to Ask Ourselves

1. Are you developing your ability to see how God is working and moving in your life and in the lives of others? 
2. What are the main distractions in your life that keep you from spending time with God and understanding his truth? 

What’s Next? 

1. Pray that God would allow you to recognize your blind spots so that you can see how he is moving in your life. 
2. Ask some trusted friends if they can point out any areas in which you can grow in your faith.