I had planned on continuing my little “unthankfulness series” I’ve had going for the past couple weeks but I am feeling to switch it up this week to touch on the area of blind spots.
I heard the phrase “blind spots” in an online sermon a couple weeks ago and it has stayed me with since. So one evening, while sitting on my patio on a gorgeous Saskatchewan evening, I took the risk and reached out to God from an emotionally fragile state and willingly prayed: “Show me my blind spots.”
It was one of those times when you reach out when you are unsure if you’ll like the answer to that statement. I had a preconceived idea of what I thought my blind spots were but I was mistaken because as I’ve begun to “ironically” discover, a blind spot is not something we can see for ourselves! It is “...a lack of insight or awareness — often persistent — about a specific area of one's behaviour or personality, typically because recognition of one's true feelings and motives would be painful (according to APA Dictionary of Psychology).” If I am unwilling to acknowledge an area of my behaviour because it will cause me pain, I need to be aware that I have blind spots that are causing danger to my life in some way.
Marissa Levin suggests that “...blind spots limit our effectiveness.” Although there can be dozens of blind spots, Levin gives us her top 10 core blind spots that show up most often: “Not asking for help, unaware of how you show up, valuing being right above everything else, avoiding the difficult conversations, blaming others or circumstances, treating commitments casually (not honoring the other person’s time, energy, resources), conspiring against others (driven by a personal agenda), withholding emotional commitment, not taking a stand, and tolerating “good enough.”
Blind spots are what you don’t see and what other people do. The Word of God says “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another (Proverbs 27:17).” Solomon, the writer of Proverbs also says “Wounds from a friend can be trusted..." and “A single rebuke does more for a person of understanding than a hundred lashes on the back of a fool.”
As I did, the first step to deal with blind spots is to pray that God will reveal them to us. Psalm 26:2 “Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my mind and heart.”
Secondly, we can rest assured that what He reveals, He will heal. When something is exposed, that is when God can come in and make it right. Once we become aware of our blind spots, we open up opportunities to grow, learn and mature. God lovingly walks along the path with us (sometimes carrying us) to bring us to a new level of discovering who He is in me and who I am in Him.
Third, find an accountability partner who is willing to be honest with you (and vice versa) to walk through these discoveries together. This may seem like a tough order but if God truly has called us as His family, He can bring just the right person along for the journey.
Lastly, celebrate the small steps and keep getting back up. Blind spots are dangerous. God wants to do a deep work in you to show you where you’ve got off course and heal you; then put you on the path of abundant life. “I pray that the light of God will illuminate the eyes of your imagination, flooding you with light...” Ephesians 1:18a.
Until next week... BE BLESSED!
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
