Are you Blind?

We have all asked this question before, especially if you have children: are you blind? The fact is, Jesus asks us this all the time. Throughout the bible, He continues to ask His children if they are blind. Why don’t we see the changes that need to happen in our lives? Why don’t we want to change? Why are we going individually and as a society in the wrong direction? Are we blind?

The fact is, we all have blinders on in some area of our lives. Isaiah 29:18 talks about God opening the eyes of the blind in the last days. But what about now? Isaiah goes on to say in chapter 59 verse 10 that we are looking for something. What is it? We want light, and we need light, and Jesus is that light.

So many things destroy light in our lives: our schools, our co-workers, friends, our family and even our churches. We must figure out how to turn on the light and live radical lives for Christ. Jesus did it by healing the  blind man in John 9.  His disciples asked if it was this man or his parents that sinned (v. 1,2). Jesus told them neither. The man was here so that the world could see God at work (v.3). The disciples themselves were to a certain degree blind too. They were physically walking with God and could not see. Receiving  the Holy Spirit in Acts did help them see, but where are we today? We are so far removed from the time when Jesus walked the earth that we are doing what the children of Israel always did, looking for, to, and at idols to fulfill something in our lives. Are you blind?

As a result of Jesus healing the blind man he was excommunicated (John 9:27-34). Why? It just didn’t flow with what religion was at that time. Are we still walking in blindness in our churches today? Don’t we get to a point where it seems like things are going good, people are coming, tithing, attending a few things here or there, and that is enough? Where are those that want to live everyday for Christ and need each other to help them walk the walk? Are our churches still stumbling, blindly?

As a result of being healed, the blind man sought after his healer (John 9:35) (since he really didn’t know who He was that healed him). He was searching for his answer in a dark and dim world. The church already turned him away. His parents even stepped out of the picture for fear of persecution (John 9:19-23). Do we deny Jesus because it just isn’t cool, or don’t mention His name for fear of offending those around us? Can’t we learn a lot from the blind man’s search for Jesus? Search out Christ in the things that seem to be closed in our homes, on our jobs, in our churches. Look for the cracks where the light can get in and infiltrate. As believers, you will have to fight your way in. Standing back and suggesting someone turn on the light in a room just won’t make it happen. You might just have to get up, walk across the room, and turn it on yourself. Either way, you don’t want to sit there blind and in darkness.

In the end, he gave his life to Christ, and was spiritually renewed (v.38). Now, he wasn’t saved because he was healed from his blindness. He was saved because he sought after Jesus. He looked for Him.

But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul - Deuteronomy 4:29.

 
Jesus confessed to others that they were spiritually inadequate and even though seeing in the natural, blind in the spiritual (John 9:40,41) . In these days, we are going to have to seek God with all of our heart. We need to be a light source for ourselves and families. We can be a light source for others, and must walk in love all the time. Stepping high on Sunday just isn’t going to cut it anymore. We must take off our blinders, and be Christ everyday. After all, He left us here to be light in this world.

By Mistye Ruffin ~

I first and foremost love the Lord with all my heart! He has blessed me with an earthly family that comes next which has multiplied greatly this year. I have my family of 7 that God has given me are of. I also have a wonderfully large family that raised me (and did a pretty good job I might add). But I have come to meet and love my family that adopted me out. God is awesome. His love has no boundaries!

Mistye~