1.8.26 – The Blind Man Challenge

I think everybody wants to know the future. What if God, our Bridegroom King, gave it to us through the past event of the Exodus story in the book of Exodus (Shemot – "names")? I gave you a thumbnail sketch of it in yesterday's study :-). Would you give extra attention to the details of this story if you knew the same scenario was going to take place in the future, all around the world? God reveals the end from the beginning (Isa. 46:10; Eccl. 1:8–9; Isa. 44:7; 45:21; Acts 15:18), and He gives us His track uniform so we will run the race to win (1 Cor. 9:24–10:12).

This morning, I want to share with you one way to run the race to win. Sit back and imagine the story as you read it.

Once upon a time, there was a small town where there lived a blind man who could not see. He was not the blind believer of 2 Peter 1:5–12. Truly, he was blind and really couldn't see. Yet, everywhere he went, he carried a lighted lamp with him every time he went out at night.

One night, when he was coming home after having dinner at a local restaurant in town, he came across a group of young travelers. They recognized that he was blind and were amazed that a blind man would carry a lighted lamp. Inquiring minds are asking the same question: "Why is a blind man carrying a lighted lamp?"

Knowing that he was "the live-alone blind man of the town," they started sharing comments back and forth about him and making fun of his strange behavior of carrying a lamp. One of them finally asked the blind man, "Hey blind man, you are blind and can't see anything. Why do you carry the lamp?" The blind man replied, "Yes, unfortunately, I am blind. I can't see anything. But the lighted lamp I am carrying is for people like you, so you can see me." "Huh?" the boys replied.

He reemphasized: "I carry the lamp everywhere I go because you may not see this blind man coming, and you may end up running into me. That is why I carry a lighted lamp." The group of young travelers pondered the blind man's response, felt pretty ashamed, and immediately apologized for their behavior.

"And Yeshua said, For judgment I come into this world, so that those which see not might see; and that those which see might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees (who were not 'fair-you-see'), who were with him, heard these words and said unto him, Are we blind also? Yeshua said unto them, If you were blind, you should have no sin; but now you see; therefore your sin remains."
(John 9:39–41)

Do you see why the blind man carried the light (hint, hint)? The blind man was not just carrying a light; he was looking at life from their perspective—from their point of view.

Most of us—speaking of me, myself, and I—walk around blind, not to our own path, but to the path of others. All we can see is the way we see and understand the world around us. But if we are to be influential leaders—ones who can move through this life, persuading and motivating others to grow, become better, and do great work, whether at the office, at home, at school, at church, or in the neighborhood—then it will be obvious that we see the world from the eyes of others, not just our own.

Scripture teaches us, and modern-day behavioral science confirms, that we don't see things as they are. We see things as we are and how we are affected by events and situations. This is due to our tendency toward confirmation bias. We see what we expect to see. We seek out and interpret information in a way that will likely confirm our own perspective.

We are consistent in interpreting things according to our beliefs and past experiences. We see things through the lens of our history. We give meanings to things in the context of our lives and our circumstances.

All this can make us blind from seeing the same situation in our mind's eye. If we are going to see from another person's point of view, we have to actively take ourselves out of our own perspective and put ourselves into theirs. This is a hard thing to do, and it does not come naturally to us mere mortals :-). Too many of us—speaking of me, myself, and I—are selfish, self-interested, self-motivated, and self-obsessed. We live as our "self." After all, to take another person's perspective takes conscious effort.

Strangely enough, even when you think you are sympathizing with someone, you are really just self-indulging in your own emotions, reflecting on what is happening to the other person. To really take someone else's perspective, you have to get outside of yourself entirely. You have to "walk a mile in their moccasins." You have to carry a lamp so that you can see what they see.

Chances are, there is someone in your life right now with whom you do not see eye to eye. Who is it? Think of someone. Is it a coworker, a boss, a client, or an offender? Come on—who is it? A neighbor, a friend, a child of yours, a sibling, an in-law, an out-law, another member of your church, someone in your bowling league, your underwater basket-weaving class, or on the PTA or another committee, a parent on your kids' soccer team, or someone typing your morning study...?

Just think of someone and then get outside of yourself. Take a moment to sit in their head, in their heart, in their history, their beliefs, their perspectives, and their life circumstances. Just for a moment, write out (or think out to yourself) how they might be seeing the same situation that has been causing a misunderstanding in your relationship. I think you will find that a fresh perspective—from a blind man's point of view—might shed some light on your relationship.

If you are bold enough—as I am sure you are—take the blind man challenge. Shine some light on the subject from their perspective and see how it helps. Live life carrying the light (Ps. 119:105; 19:8; 43:3; Prov. 6:23; Matt. 5:13–16; Eph. 5:23; 2 Pet. 1:19; etc.). Feel free to look up those Scriptures and ask yourself: "Am I living as this blind man?" If you do, I bet your sweet bippy that you will see "your situation" in a whole new light.

Shalom!