How Does Jesus Rebuke Our Blind Spots?
In our last article, Jesus Will Rebuke Your Blind Spots, we were reminded we all have blind spots in our lives and one of the gifts of God is to reveal them to us. That rebukes are God’s grace because His desire is not to condemn us but to call us to better. The question is, how does God do this? Let’s explore:
You lie to yourself
One of my assumptions as I reflected on the last article was that it set us up for failure because it didn’t define how God reveals these rebukes towards us. Is it up to us to examine our life and repent of sin? Well of course, Jesus taught us to do this in His prayer every day. But if we believe we all have blind spots then it can’t be on us to be able to pinpoint them because we won’t be able to see them.
So what are the means through which God reveals these rebukes to our blind spots?
1- Through good friends
Better an open rebuke than love that is concealed. The wounds of a friend are faithful, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
- Proverbs 27:5-6
Good friends call you out. Good friends skillfully know when and how to confront a blind spot in your life. They don’t speak out of judgement, for they know their own pitfalls. But they do call you to better living as Jesus has commanded them to. “The wounds of a friend are faithful” if they are seen as a loving rebuke.
This is hard though, isn’t it? Who of us likes to receive rebukes? I was on a phone call a few years ago with a college friend, she pointed out something I had said in a group of people a few weeks prior and said “I know you are better than that Josh”. A loving rebuke said at the right time.
What was my response though? Internally it was defensiveness. “Who are you to call me out”? My mind immediately started examine her life for things I could pull up to prove that she had no basis to confront me. Not too long after that my mind went to condemnation. I kept apologizing and even down-talking myself.
“Josh, stop. We all make mistakes. I’m not beating you down. Learn and move on.” She said.
I know when we are rebuked by loving friends our desires can be to become defensive and self-condemning. Good friends do not allow us to continue walking in unholy ways nor do they allow us to sit in pity when rebuked. They believe the best about us and call us to better living. Then they don’t beat us down but help us up.
Do you invite your friends into this type of relationship with you? Where they have free reign on your heart to call anything out? Or do you assume that anyone who has sin in their life is beneath confronting you? What if God used someone you don’t like to rebuke you as a means to humble you? If we do not allow others to rebuke us we think too highly of ourselves.
Who is one person you could tell right now “You have complete freedom to, in love, speak into my life?” And then we must actually listen when they speak.
2- Through time in the bible
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
-Hebrews 4:12
Another primary place God will speak to us and call out our blinds spots/sins is through His word. Jesus called out peoples sins during His time on earth. We don’t physically have Jesus with us anymore, but we do have the Spirit and the words of Jesus in the Scriptures.
Many of us spend time in the Bible. But do we sit long enough, meditating on the words for them to know us? To search us? To judge us?
3- Through sermons
This is one of the reasons Church is good for us. Through the preached Word God works in showing you things you have not thought of before. We are all very different in how we view scripture, the way we think, and one of the blessings God gives His church is to give preachers who pray and know God deeply, giving them insight into how to apply the Word of God. One of the benefits of this is that God will reveal things you’ve never thought of before. He will rebuke your blind spots and call you to better living through sermons.
You will be better for attending a local church regularly.
God loves us and doesn’t want us to walk in our blind spots. He gives us many avenues through which He will speak. The question is, will we place ourselves within those spaces and then listen? It takes humility. Remember though, God is for you in every rebuke. His heart is not to judge nor condemn. But to draw you closer to Himself. To help you walk in the holiness we are all called to as Christians.
Submit yourself to His voice.
Asking God to rebuke me with you,
Josh.
