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CHALLENGES IN LIVING
TOGETHER AS COMMUNITY
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Wearing
Spiritual Blinders
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by Tom
Caballes
"I have
made a covenant with my eyes; how then
could I gaze at a virgin?
- Job
31:1 ESV
When I was young, I was fascinated by horse-drawn
carriages and why do horses wear blinders [or
blinkers]. Later, I discovered that wild horses
have eyes on the sides of their heads for safety
against predators. Horses wearing blinders are
inclined to be more focused on the direction of a
straight and narrow path and is much easier for
the person controlling the horse to direct it
where to go. We are like that horse – because we
are sinners, our tendency is to wander off from
God. We ‘leak’ spiritually. Our ‘wild’ side makes
us spiritually adventurous. The ‘virgin’ in Job
31:1 can be pleasure, power, possession, etc. –
anything that can grab our hearts away from God.
It is great to have foresight in life, but
regarding sin and discipleship, we want to be
narrow-eyed as much as possible. How I wish I
always have spiritual blinders that keep me on a
straight and narrow road to God – do you?
So How Do You
Develop Having Spiritual
Blinders in Your Life?
- Do
you have a personal mission statement
for your life? Have you clearly
identified what you want to accomplish
in your life? Do it now if you have not
done it yet. Having ultimate goals in
life gives you a sense of direction on
what will you do in the immediate, short
term and long term goals in your life.
- Know
what your personal weaknesses are. What
will you look for if you are free to
wander off spiritually? What bad habits,
sin, and temptation attract you most?
You need to be single-minded for God
and walk the narrow road ahead of you,
rather than wander off spiritually.
- God knows you intimately. In spite of your
sinfulness, God wants to draw you to Him. He
is forever faithful, and His mercy is always
available for those seek Him. Ask forgiveness
from God whenever you fall. God does not keep
a tab on the number of times you failed, but
He counts the number of times you rise and
walk with Him again. Let us then with
confidence draw near to the throne of grace,
that we may receive mercy and find
grace to help in time of need. [Hebrews 4:16
ESV]
- Sometimes
we need help when we are confused or
when we wander off to the wrong
direction. That is why it is important
to ask help and guidance from those who
can help us grow in the Lord. We should
not make major decisions in life without
talking with a person we trust to look
after us well.
- Lastly,
desire to follow God wholeheartedly.
Offer every day to God and claim it for
his glory. Have you thrown away your
peripheral vision for worldly pleasures,
riches and fame, and sinful things? Is
your heart set on God and God alone? Are
your eyes fixed on heaven?
Other Scripture passages:
- O
God, you are my God; earnestly I seek
you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh
faints for you, as in a dry and weary
land where there is no water. [Psalms
63:1 ESV]
- Therefore,
since we are surrounded by so great a
cloud of witnesses, let us also lay
aside every weight, and sin which clings
so closely, and let us run with
endurance the race that is set before
us… [Hebrews 12:1 ESV]
- For
all that is in the world -- the desires
of the flesh and the desires of the eyes
and pride of life -- is not from the
Father but is from the world. [1 John
2:16 ESV]
- …
Resist the devil, and he will flee from
you. Draw near to God, and he will draw
near to you. [James 4:7-8 ESV]
- Other
Scripture references: 1 Timothy
6:10-12; and 2 Timothy 2:22.
For
personal reflection or
group sharing
- Are
you walking a straight path to God, or do
you tend to wander off? Can God easily
direct you?
- What
are your personal weaknesses, and how do you
control them?
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Tom
Caballes is the
National Senior
Administrator and a
National Coordinator
of the Lamb
of God, a
community of the
Sword of the Spirit
with 7 branches
located throughout
New Zealand. Tom
also leads Kairos
New
Zealand, an
outreach program for
high school,
university, and
post-university aged
people.
Tom and
his wife Mhel and
their two
daughters live in
Wellington, New
Zealand.
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"Looking
Over Cliff"
illustration by
Kevin Carden |
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