Blind Spots?
As blind spots go, I try not to have any. I even ask people what they are with no response. But, God always has a few to reveal to me when I seek Him. Unfortunately for me, it is usually in the realm of pride. I never realized how often my reactions involved a seed (or a whole loaf) of pride.
Pride? What pride?
When we think of pride, we often think of the arrogant snotty person who thinks he or she is better than others. Or maybe we envision the one who must always be right or is constantly talking about how wonderful, smart, fill-in-the-blank he or she is. But, gulp, did you know that that is only one form of pride? Pride underlies so many things in our lives if we will only take a good look. This includes that ‘reverse pride’ often displayed by those who look down on those who have more than they do.
Who Me?
One example in my own life has to do with the upcoming Christmas holiday. Did you know that I am a bad gifter? Yes, it’s true. I am not one of those who comes up with the ‘perfect’ gift that the other person will gush over and remember forever.
What's Pride Got to do with it?
The thing is that I lose sight of the purpose of Christmas and even gifting. So what if my gift is not the super gift I’d like it to be. It still has plenty of thought and love put in it. Who am I to think that I have to be a good gifter? Who am I to feel sorry for myself because I do not have the gift of being a good gifter?
Anxiety Mode?
When I go into anxiety mode concerning a gift I’ve bought or made for another, I am exhibiting, double gulp, PRIDE! What have I done? I have placed my need to give a good gift over the person I’m getting the gift for in the first place. It’s not about the gift at all! It’s about that other person.
Self-talk 101?
In order to change this, it takes a deep look into my own self-talk. What am I saying to myself that makes me feel this way? How is the self-talk creating a false belief? What is the truth that I can shine into this false belief to kick it’s behind out the door?
The Point?
The real point is that all of us have these hidden false beliefs or ‘blind spots’ in our lives. The only way to change it around is to look at it through the lens of God’s truth. As long as I allow these false beliefs to ferment in the corners of my mind, I will continue to operate in the same mode – the WRONG mode!
I’m Taking Over?
Today I was watching the TV show “Tabitha’s Salon Takeover” on BRAVO. In this particular episode, Tabitha was taking the owner around and showing her all the hidden filth in the salon. She was pointing out a mess in an upper cabinet and noticed a bunch of flies. She pulls out a bag, and it is full of cherries. Not good cherries. Maggot covered, disgusting cherries! This is what happens when we leave hidden false beliefs and sins – we get a stinky, maggot-infested mess in our souls. Sooner or later, others will smell the stench as well.
House Keeping?
This kind of house keeping takes constant effort. Imagine leaving those cherries for a whole year in that cupboard? Yes! Spring and Fall deep cleaning are great, but we should always be looking at our beliefs, shining the light of God’s truth into the hidden places of our life in order to keep from becoming a blind, hypocritical mess, believing the lie and accepting the counterfeit when a little cleansing of the Word can make us something beautiful: The image of Jesus Christ!
Tweet
