(New Blog Address Begings Today) Not many of us want to know what others REALLY think of us. Truth be told, not many of us really want to know the total truth about ourselves. That would be too painful, embarrassing, and/or potentially life altering. The reason being if we see our flaws, we are then responsible for doing something about them.
We really don’t want to look closely into the mirror!
But that is exactly what the Lord would have us do if we are to become more like Christ. We are to actively look for the areas of our life… our personality… our shortcoming and ruthlessly attack them so as to root them out of our life as we move toward a holy life.
But there is a problem. We can’t see our flaws on our own. Our flaws are glaring to everyone else, but hidden from us. These areas are call “Blind Spots.” We are so adept at rationalizing and justifying our thoughts, words, and conduct that we actually think those areas are some of our positive characteristics.
The only answer… the only way we can know of and attack the blind spots so as to mature in Christ is to pray the scariest prayer a Christian can ever pray. Here it is… “God, please reveal to me my blind spots.” Only when/if God answers that prayer will we ever participate with God to be conformed into the image of Christ. Otherwise we will fight, rebel, and resist the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives.
I know a couple of people who don’t want to see their blind spots. They can be selfish, egotistical, arrogant, falsely humble, mean at times. They don’t like considering alternate opinions, enjoy gossip and hearing gossip. They are a tremendous threat to the health, peace, and joy of the church. They are often tempted to lie, be deceptive, and yet they are in church every Sunday serving the Lord and worshipping him.
I would tell you their names, but then I’d get in trouble. Aw heck… why not. What’s the worst that can happen?
Hint: Look in the mirror. Hint: Remember who is writing this. Hint: I’m talking about all of us!
If we really, honestly, and with great passion want to be more like Christ, we will look closely into the mirror. We will ask God to reveal to us our blind spots. Then we will plead for His power to mortify (kill) the residual sin in our life!
Look close into the mirror!
Don’t ask me to look closely into a mirror. Since I work with them almost daily I have developed the ability to look at the mirror without seeing what is reflected back. I think God uses another method with me and I do appreciate it when flaws are pointed out to me (even when it comes from friends and family).
About five years ago the Lord motivated me to stand up in front of my congregation and announce who was the biggest hinderance to the work of God in our midst. Wow, you could literally feel the oxygen leave the room. My own staff was squirming in their seats. After talking about how this person continued to disrupt the church and how if they did not straighten up the Lord should remove them, I then revealed the person’s name–my own. It was a major time of reflection for all of us.
What happened at the end of the service blew my mind. A woman whose husband was causing a lot of problems at the time came to the front of the church to speak to the congregation. She embarrassed herself and her husband by defending him publicly. It was a sad moment in the life of that congregation. She literally incriminated herself and her husband with her actions.
That will be a day I will not soon forget.