Proverbs 27:6 – “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” NKJV

Have you ever taken a trip with six people in a small car?  A short trip can seem like an endless journey.  I have a friend who took a trip with his family (six people) in an economy car and they were packed in like sardines. It was so crowded he could not see out of the rear-view mirror and had to trust his son to tell him when it was okay to change lanes.  His son realized how difficult it was for his father and said, “Dad, you have to believe me.”  That is a real lesson in trust!  The boy had become his father’s eyes and was able to fill in the ‘blind spots’ because he could see from a better perspective.  All of us have ‘blind spots’ and need someone else to help us find and acknowledge them.

Sometimes we are made aware of our ‘blind spots’ as we observe those things in the lives of another.  An example of that in the Bible is where Nathan the prophet approached David regarding Bathsheba.  Although it would seem incomprehensible that David needed Nathan’s story to see his fault he apparently did.  Nathan used a third party illustration to communicate to David his ‘blind spot.’  It took courage for Nathan to approach the king and demonstrated how deeply he trusted God and loved David.  Sometimes we must confront those we love and expose a ‘blind spot’. 

God has used some faithful friends to reveal ‘blind spots’ in my life and although sometimes it was painful it has always been deeply appreciated in the long run.  Let me approach this by asking some questions to help us move toward discovering ‘blind spots’ in our lives.

Are you CONSISTENT?  James 1:8 tells us, “A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.”  I heard a preacher speak about consistency and how his small son caused him to examine his lack thereof.  He was rushing from one place to another and his young son was riding in the backseat.  He was deep in thought and his foot grew heavy on the pedal as his speed reached 50 MPH on a city street where the limit was 30.  His son observing the speedometer said, “Dad, you are going 50!”  He was taken aback for he did not realize that his son could read a speedometer and then feeling guilty but not wanting to show it said, “So?”  The boy said, “But the speed limit is 30.”   He knew instantly that there was a latent ‘blind spot’ that somehow he had justified doing wrong so long as he did not get caught. He knew he was opening the door to teach a ‘double standard’ to his son and repented immediately.  Could it be that some of the rebellion in our children has been birthed via our ‘blind spot’ of a ‘double-standard?’

Are you SELF-CONTROLLED?  I do not believe that ‘self-control’ will get us to heaven but lack of it will severely hinder our walk with the Lord.  When a spiritual leader or any leader exhibits self-control it provides an atmosphere of STABILITY.  If in the turbulence of life we demonstrate ‘self-control’ we not only help ourselves but those around us.  As believers we need to overwhelm the world with our calm assurance even in storms.

Do you THINK INDEPENDENTLY?  By that I am referring to the truth in Psalms 1:1 – “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers.”   Our inner personal convictions dictate whether we will conform to peer-pressure or go against the tide.  A person with a strong faith and understanding of who they are in Christ will be more likely to resist the pressure of the crowd than someone who is ‘double-minded’.  Some have the ‘convoy mentality’ rather than the ‘eagle mentality.’

May the Lord help each of us to see our ‘blind spots’ overcome them and move higher and higher in Him.  May the Lord bless you as you go through your day!