Checking your blind spots

It wasn’t until I took driver’s education that I found out what a blind spot was. A blind spot is an area around your car that you can’t see by checking in your mirrors or looking ahead. You need to turn your head slightly to the left or right to make sure there is nothing in your way. The one thing I remember most from driver’s ed class is to make sure and do a shoulder check. I’m glad I got into the habit because it saved me from an accident last week.

Blind spots also apply to other areas in our life. Those hidden things about us that others might see but we can’t. We might think that we are being kind and generous but aren’t aware of how we are really coming across. There are plenty of examples of people who think they can sing but when auditioning on reality television discover they weren’t so gifted. Sometimes we are aware of our blind spots, but we choose to ignore them because it’s just easier than making a change in life.

If we want to do a quick ‘shoulder check’ on our hidden weaknesses we have three sources of help. Friends and family. We can ask those closest to us, the ones we feel safe with, if there are areas in our life where we might be lacking self-awareness. This isn’t fun but can be helpful. “Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.” (Proverbs 27:6) Scripture. When we open our hearts to letting the scriptures really search us, we can be caught off guard by seeing some unpleasant things in our life. God works through his word to help us see more clearly. “Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped.” (Isaiah 35:5) The Holy Spirit. This is part of the Spirit’s work, to examine our heart. The Psalmist prayed: Search me, God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24)
 
I’ve found that God answers those kinds of prayers more regularly than I would like. It usually means I need to confess and make changes.

Failure to check your blind spot can be dangerous to you and to others on the road. Failure to examine your life can have similar consequences. Thankfully we don’t have to just take our chances.