I Once Was Blind, Right?

Ever get the sense that we, as church people, are critical at times? Think about it. It’s sad to say, but we expect the unchurched to act like they know Jesus, BUT who’s pointing the finger at us? We want the world to conform to the church, yet we don’t even act or live like we know Christ. That’s INSANE!

Quite frankly, I’m learning that it’s pretty stupid to set expectations on so-called followers of Christ, let alone the L-O-S-T. This includes ME! I’m incredibly hard on myself. I see my faults. I see my failures. I see needed improvements…

So blind…

I use the word ‘blind’ because I don’t see ALL that God is DOING in and around me. I ignore the good, the blessings, the favor, and focus on what’s NOT. NOT here. NOT happening. NOT right. NOT now. NOT yet. I’m not like the blind man healed by Jesus. More often than not, I tend to be like the Pharisees OR, better yet, I’m like the guy that gouged his own eyes out and sits around crying that he’s blind.

And Jesus said, For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind. Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, Are we blind also? Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, We see. Therefore your sin remains.
John 9:39-41 NKJV

Here’s what I’m trying to say, we spend entirely too much time pointing our fingers, gossiping, blaming, backbiting (I just like that phrase and WILL use it whenever the opportunity presents itself)…fighting. We claim to follow Christ. We profess faith in God’s word. We smile. But where’s the fruit? Aren’t you tired of swatting away the flies?

I struggle to live as a follower of Christ. It sucks to write this, but it’s true. BUT here’s the deal, I WANT TO BE A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST! I’m LEARNING what it means. I’m GROWING. He's at work within me. He's opening my eyes. I don’t want to live blindly! I don’t want to miss out on His power, His promises, His presence. I don’t want to claim I SEE and have my sin remain. I want eyes that SEE. I want eyes that see His GLORY. I want eyes that see my SINS and a mouth that confesses them…I want FREEDOM! I don’t just want this for myself, but pray we, as a church, experience this TOGETHER.

Let’s clean up His house. Let’s get dirty, well actually, let’s get CLEAN! Let’s come together, united, as one, and pursue a lifestyle worthy of existing within the pages of Scripture. When Peter and John stood before the Sanhedrin it was EVIDENT they had been WITH Jesus (Acts 4:13). What if our community saw this in the local church?

It’s time to stop criticizing others. It’s time to stop pointing out those specks and start removing those logs. Why can’t we SEE them? Blindness. It’s time for a paradigm shift—it’s time to change our perspective and actually WANT to change. It’s not easy. It sucks. But it’s the first step in seeing the surplus of POTENTIAL in the local church be UNLEASHED!

Are you ready? Are you willing? Are you in?