Blind Spots

Everyone with a driver’s licence knows about the blind spot, that space that you simply cannot see from where you sit as the driver. One of the very first driving lessons will include understanding the importance of this blind spot. If ignored, it will lead to serious danger to yourself and other traffic.  

In our own lives we all have blind spots as well. In fact, everyone has a blind spot in their physical eyes (called a scotoma), which has to do with the way our eyes are constructed. There isn’t a human being without one. In our spiritual lives too, there simply are things that we cannot see. That’s OK. We are limited human beings, and we simply cannot see everything. There is no shame in that. Only God Himself sees perfectly. What’s important is that we are aware of this and remain humble, teachable, and open to help from others. 

One way we might discover a spiritual blind spot is through reading the Bible. Perhaps we were doing something wrong without even being aware of it. Then we read a Bible verse that speaks right into a problem we didn’t even realise we had. The Bible is a wonderful gift, and through it we can see ourselves more clearly. 

The Holy Spirit might get our attention too and speak to us. He will say, “I really want you to consider this or that”, and it’s something that was not in any way on our radar. He knows us better than we know ourselves, and can help us perceive reality.  

But in my experience, a lot of the time, even when the Bible or the Holy Spirit indicate a blind spot, we might remain unable to grasp it. It is so far removed from our way of thinking that we simply don’t know how to perceive what He is saying. This is why we need other people to help us see ourselves. 

Scotland’s national bard Robert Burns wrote these lines in his humorous poem ‘to a louse’  

‘O wad some Pow’r the giftie gie us
To see oursels as others see us!’ 

It is helpful when we realise that others can see us in ways that we can’t. One of the greatest gifts we can give one another is to (kindly) point out things the person themselves cannot see. As an example, somewhat embarrassingly, I am prone to get food stuck in my teeth. My wife has saved me many a time from public embarrassment by privately pointing out that bit of spinach which I could not see.  

Sometimes, it is the negative stuff in our lives which needs pointing out. We might be behaving poorly, or seeing things the wrong way, yet feel totally justified in ourselves. Some brave person might save us from ourselves by showing us an external perspective. But, on the other hand, sometimes it’s the good things that we can’t see in ourselves. We may need help from others to see the positive things we do, or the good and God-given personality traits we possess. 

Sometimes a large truck has a warning on the back, indicating that they have a large blind spot and that there will be times when the driver simply cannot see you. We need humility to have this level of self-awareness in our personal lives. It is not always easy when someone else points out a blind spot in your life, but it may lead to huge blessings.