How is it that each person naturally thinks differently than others? My wife, Connie, has a different perspective on life than I. We have found when we put our different perspectives together, we both have broader and a more complete view of life. Alone it might be said that each of us would be blind in some area of our life. Only because of Connie does our house look so warm and attractive. If I were decorating the house it would look very stark. We need each other for that to happen. I am sure the source of these differences relate to a variety of factors, the strongest being our personalities and set of natural talents we have been given by our God.
This does not work exactly the same in spiritual perception. Many are more like spiritual zombies; they are alive but virtually dead when it comes to spiritual things. The apostle Paul explained The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14, NIV). Sadly, instead of understanding this unique difference, each tends to become angry with the other, some more so than others. This is especially clear when one tries to convince the other of how wrong, or foolish, they are in the decisions they make.
A remarkably similar phenomenon is clear within the group of those who have experienced a spiritual regeneration. In this case the analogy of visual blindness might be a better illustration. Most of us have different degrees of blindness. Some see a spiritual truth while it does not even cross another person’s mind. Again, because they see things differently, they can end up becoming judgmental of each other. The Bible refers to this as blindness as well as variations of belief. A person who has a closer or more intimate relationship with God has a stronger belief or faith and therefore is more willing to take risky steps to obey God.
These variations of blindness or belief are influenced by past unresolved wounds, unforgiveness or bitterness, preferences or habits the Bible forbids, false teachings they have received, pride (vs humility), strong need to control, neglect to nurture the faith they do have because they neglect spiritual disciplines like Bible study and prayer, or other such distractions of life. Jesus compared the variations of spiritual life with several types of soil in Mark 4:14-20.
The reality is every single believer has multiple spiritual blind spots. Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely (1 Corinthians 13:12, NLT2) As a person matures spiritually (not chronologically), the Holy Spirit continues to reveal more truth and thereby remove those blind spots. This is the goal of every authentic believer.
Do you desire to have the Holy Spirit open your eyes in your areas of blindness? The minimal acceptability level of belief/faith is without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must (1) believe that he exists and (2) that he rewards those who earnestly seek him (Hebrews 11:6, NIV). The second qualifier is the most challenging therefore sobering because it is about relentlessly seeking to know God’s fullness in a more personal way. The more you seek of Him the more you will have revealed to you. I have found indescribable and energizing joy as He continues to whisper insights of who He is and His ways. I have already experienced that pleasure at least two times this week! The joy of the Lord truly can be our strength.
A number of years back I remember someone taught some lessons on our personality. It was a box with 4 windows. I think it was labeled something like the Jahari window. One was what I see about myself. One was what others see about me. One was what I cannot see about myself and consequently am blind to it. Lastly memory fails me as to the 4th window. Several times I have thought about that blindness I have. It has only been the Lord’s unfailing grace that has helped me some many countless times to know some direction and true guidance in the constant changing circumstances of life.