STAND STRONG
STAND STRONG
6.9 - Blind Spots
Like cars, people have blind spots. Join us today as we discuss what the Proverbs has to teach us about what causes our blind spots and some of the best ways we can grow in this area!
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Paul and Noah both preach and teach with the Cedar Park church of Christ in Cedar Park, TX. You can visit our site at: https://www.cedarparkchurchofchrist.org/
Well, good morning and welcome back to the Stan Strong podcast. Hope that you've had a good week as we have had and I'm looking forward to our discussion today. We're here for season six, episode nine, Blind Spots. Paul, we're going to be talking about blind spots today.
Paul:You know, I've got them on my truck. These, these backup cameras, you know, these, these newer vehicles, they started doing that years ago. And I could tell my story about the time I was going to back up and, and, and I thought I could see everything behind me and obviously I couldn't. And then something beeped at me and I saw it in the backup camera, something, and it, and it wasn't a person. It was just a, a thing that had, I hit it. Wouldn't have been that big of a deal, but everybody understands that they put cameras in the vehicles because they know there are certain areas you have blind spots and you can't see. And because of that, everybody knows potentially somebody could get hurt and lots of damage could be done. You know, just like cars, people have blind spots. So we had, we had talked about what is, what is Proverbs have to say about, you know, Sometimes areas in our life or sometimes where I can get to a point where I've got a blind spot I need something, I need somebody to help me see something and maybe I'm just not willing to admit that I have a blind spot or I need help from someone else.
Noah:Yeah, I think when we look at the book of Proverbs, we're not going to find, obviously, we're not going to find the phrase blind spots, but what we will quickly see jumping off the pages is that exact concept of what does it look like and what causes a person to refuse knowledge, to refuse insight That could be life saving for them and life changing for them, and yet they refuse to see it. And that's perhaps the sad thing. I mean, we all have blind spots to some degree in our lives, from the standpoint of you know, just lack of experience, you know. Immaturity and inexperience causes all sorts of blind spots, and those Ought to go away as we mature and as we age to some extent, but our background, our raising, all of those things can lead to these different kinds of blind spots. But the sad picture we see in the book of Proverbs is people who have blind spots because they won't listen. They won't see. They refuse What could help them get, you know, remedy some of those those blind spots. And really that comes to the core problem, right? Or at least one of the core problems where these blind spots come from. It's it's, it comes from being stiff necked. I, I use that word because that is a word not just found in Proverbs, but throughout scripture to describe people who won't. They won't listen, they won't turn one way or the other, they are rigid, right? I mean, John the Baptist used it, Jesus used it, we see it here in Proverbs to, to, to talk about stubborn people. That's really kind of what maybe the more modern word would be, would be, Stubbornness.
Paul:Yeah. Stubbornness. Thick headed. So what, where's a good one to start with in Proverbs?
Noah:I had, the first one 10 verse 17. Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who rejects reproof or correction leads others astray. I thought that was a really interesting contrast to start off with. That he says, if you, if you're willing to listen, then you're on the path to life. But if you refuse to listen, not only are you not on the path to life, that's the implication, but you are leading others into destruction as well through your stubbornness.
Paul:Yeah. You know, that's, you, you bring that out so early you know, you think about the, the, the danger of me being stubborn. Is my stubbornness, my blind spot, and I'm unwilling to let someone else show me because I just, I can't see it. And somebody says, I know you don't see this, but I see it. Do you trust me? I need to tell you this. And if I reject that and refuse it, like, ah, no, no, no. It potentially hurts others. So is that other person my mate? Is that other person or persons my kids, right? Others in the church that I'm a part of. Yeah, so we're not just talking about what can happen to me because I'm stubborn, but some bad things can happen to others.
Noah:Exactly. And that should, that should accentuate to us the importance of the decision. That we have before us. Another verse that poses it, poses the decision for us is in Proverbs 12, 15. The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice. That's a classic scripture that I think many people are familiar with. That's the, the choice that's put before us. Are we going to be right in our own eyes, or are we going to listen to advice? And Proverbs 10 puts it in a greater context of if we decide we're going to be right in our own eyes. It's going to affect us. It's going to affect our family. It's going to affect our relationships.
Paul:Yeah. The ultimate reason the fool doesn't learn that the stubborn fool is because the fool thinks he's right. I mean, that's what you mentioned in Proverbs 12, 15. They think they need no advice. And if I don't think I need advice, I'm going to be unwilling to truly look at something from another person's point of view. And look, I, I, I'll insert here there, and Noah, you, I'm sure you would agree with this, that there are times in my life that it wasn't because I was intending to be stubborn. I mean, there's a difference between stubbornness and rebellion. Yeah. So there are times that I have blind spots and it's not because I'm just the rebellious, obstinate fool who doesn't care and I'm not going to listen to anybody about anything. I mean, that's in Proverbs, but sometimes my blind spot is I just, I'm processing this at a certain age. Let's say, okay, I'm 30. The pair of glasses I'm wearing causes me to see it this way. And I really think it's right. And then somebody comes alongside of me who's 60 and they've been 30 before and says, I know you don't see this. And I know you're not trying. To cause a train wreck for you and others in your life. But I see this. Are you willing to listen? That's why we got in the Proverbs. Okay, my character determines whether or not I'm going to let somebody speak into my life. And clearly chapter 12, 15 says, Ah, he thinks he needs no advice.
Noah:Right. Which is part of what makes it so dangerous is that it can be, if we are not careful, it can be a self perpetuating problem. Where the very tendency that we have that needs to be corrected is one that refuses to listen to correction. When we always think that we're right, it's very hard to hear that we're wrong. And so we become, we become back wrapped back up into our own, you know, we're a snake eating its own tail kind of situation.
Paul:I'm going to add this. I just can't unhear snake eating its own tail. I can't unhear that. Although I really liked that the Proverbs 18 in verse two speaks alongside of what you've been saying, Noah, Proverbs 18 in verse two, a fool has no interest in understanding. Then he adds this, but here's another layer, but delights in airing his own opinions. So way past the no interest in understanding. So here's, here's the person with the blind spot, or here's the person that, you know, Someone needs to come alongside and someone is trying to pull them aside privately and speaking to their life. And they'll only listen for so long. And then they interrupt you, whether it's with a politeness or not, and start airing their own opinions. offering complaints or ideas as to why everything you're saying or most everything you're saying doesn't apply to them or won't work or, yeah, I don't think, I don't think you're seeing that as the way you think you're saying this. Right. That's, we get ourselves in trouble sometimes because of that.
Noah:We, we do indeed. Something that we see as we move through the Proverbs is that this stubbornness, sometimes our blind spots, like we said earlier, can be from immature, immaturity or inexperience and we need to be pulled aside and educated but a lot of times the underlying source is a sense of pride. I mean, that, that's, that comes back to what you were talking about just a moment ago. And there's a lot said about pride in the Proverbs. I mean, one of the most famous verses in all of scripture is Proverbs 16, 18. Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. But we also see in Proverbs 11, 2, that when pride comes, then comes disgrace. But with the humble there is, Wisdom. Again, there's this idea of if we want to, if we want to get rid of these blind spots, if we want to work on this, it's going to take ourselves, it's going to take us humbling ourselves and, and doing away with pride because in the end, pride is what's telling us we're right. Pride is what's telling us, we don't need to listen to anybody else. We've got this down. We've got this figured out. And all we're doing is we're reinforcing those blind spots.
Paul:Yeah, you know, Proverbs 18 and verse 12, Before his downfall, a man's heart is proud, with humility comes honor. That connects really well with what you mentioned in 11 and verse 2. And, and you just, if you move into a discussion we call this blind spots, but if you move into a discussion in, in Proverbs about the danger of pride and the bad things that happen when or because I'm proud. Proud causes a lot of wrong ways of thinking about myself. And sometimes if, if my view of self is unhealthy, then when somebody comes alongside of me intending for my good to offer wisdom and counsel that I clearly need to pay attention to, if I'm proud, I may walk away from that discussion or somebody speaking into my life and resent the fact that they did it. Right. Feeling like, what, I've been treated wrong, unfairly here, you know. And sometimes my expectations are rooted in an unhealthy view of myself or just life in general. And because of that, in my pride, I resent when someone approaches me.
Noah:Right. Which is, is sad when we think about it, because I don't think anyone that knows the verses about pride, like pride goes before destruction and that kind of thing thinks, yep, that's what I want. You know, I want that end. I want the end that brings destruction and shame and disgrace. That's what I want. Well, no, none of us are saying, yeah, that's, that's what I want. And yet our pride is still telling us, yeah, but you shouldn't listen. Don't do anything to avoid that end. Just keep up the pride. Just keep up the You know, I know that pride ends this way, but it's more comfortable than humbling that and setting aside my pride And listening. And that's where that resent comes from. I think part of it is we have a cognitive dissonance. We understand what we're doing is proud and stubborn. And we know that we would be better off doing something else, but that's uncomfortable in the moment. It is so difficult to listen. without trying to respond. But the fact is, if we go about that long enough, we will face the consequences. Proverbs 29 verse 1, he who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing. The idea is, if, if we're reproved over and over and over again, but we won't listen, there's going to come a time where reproof won't do any good anymore because we'll, our own pride will have broken us at that point.
Paul:Yeah. I mean, listen, listen to our, see the picture being painted here. It's not pretty. And it's, it's, it's intended to get our attention to get my attention. Proverbs 26 in verse three, a whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey. And a rod for the back of fools. Another proverb with great imagery. It's all over proverbs, pictures that are being painted that shows the end result to someone who just continually refuses to learn in, in this venue of life from this approach by another. And then ultimately the way they finally will learn. It is in a way that they never intended. The correction will come, but ultimately not the way God intended for it to come. Right. And so, you know, I think about Noah, I mean, when we're talking about blind spots, so much of the New Testament or a good portion of the New Testament is laced with the language of do not be deceived.
Noah:Yeah.
Paul:And if, if it weren't possible for me to deceive myself. Then how do we explain a lot of the New Testament where, you know, the inspired writers, the apostles are saying, look, do not deceive yourself. I remember the time that I was blindly ordering something on Amazon. Just, just assuming that because it was presented to me this way, it was sold to me that it would, it would do this. And when I got it, it wasn't anything like they promised it would be. And others are hearing this and saying, you too? I mean, we've been there and we were so irritated by that. You know, somebody has deceived me, but the greater danger is when I can, because it's possible I can deceive myself. I think about the church at Laodicea. And in the Revelation chapter three the Lord says, because you say, so here's what they were saying about themselves. You say, I am rich, I have become wealthy, I have need of nothing. And then he says this, the Lord says, and you do not know, or you don't realize that really you're wretched, miserable, poor, and blind and naked. So the way I see myself. It's not always the way the Lord sees me. So again, we say, well, study the Bible and let the Bible, absolutely. But the Lord also works, not only through his word, he works through his people. And there are people out there that can speak into my life if I will let them wisdom, discernment, and correction needed.
Noah:Yeah, absolutely. Ultimately, as bitter a pill as it is to swallow our pride, When we're willing to swallow our pride and listen to the words of God in his word and, and the, the edification and correction that is brought through his people. That's what it looks like to, as the Proverbs writer writes in chapter three verses five and following trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. If. If we're wanting to avoid the self deception and the external deceptions that are trying to vie for our attention, we have to trust in the Lord. We have to lean not on our own understanding. We have to, as he says, acknowledge, in all our ways, acknowledge Him. And it says, and He will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes, fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. And he describes it in verse 8, it will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. Amen. It's not a fun pill to swallow. No. But it is one that brings healing. And like you said, that's going to come through God's word and it's also going to come through God's people. And if we're willing to sacrifice comfortability now in order to receive this instruction and to lean on the Lord now, What we will reap is something that is healing and comforting in the end.
Paul:Yeah, you know, you think about, I love Proverbs 3 that you just read from, and you think about healing. I mean, what, the language was healing, refreshment, was that what it was?
Noah:It'll heal your flesh and refresh your bones.
Paul:Heal, refresh. He'll refresh. So think about some modern applications and you called it bitter pills, sometimes a swallow. And look both of us, Noah, you and I sitting in the room, we've been on the other end of somebody coming to us. And then when they came to us, we were like, Oh man. And then the more we thought about it's like, yeah, they're right.
Noah:Yeah.
Paul:They're right. And, and they did love me and care about me. There was a trust there. Yeah. It was a friend, not an enemy. Faithful are the wounds of a friend. That sounds like Proverbs, doesn't it? But so this, this healing and refreshment, okay, moving into a direction, I think, so I'm probably giving a little bit of future we're going to talk about parenting maybe in Proverbs, but. Yeah, if you think about just where we were last week, so we were talking about the lazy person. Yeah. We were trying to go through Proverbs and see what God tells us about the lazy person and the destruction that comes as a result of that. But you think about the person. Okay. Say, say it's, it's the parent whose kid is lazy. The grandparent whose grandkid is lazy, they're, they're, they're still at home laying around the house, won't get out of bed and they're like 16 years old and it's the summer and they could be out working and should be working to help support and, and they just want everybody to do for them. They're lazy. And, and you think about the parent that's so frustrated or the grandparent that's so irritated. And maybe they have a blind spot if, here's what I mean, if they've been an enabler, right? If they keep giving them allowance and money and sending them to the movies and paying for everything, even though they lay around the house and play video games and don't do anything. And yet they don't realize they have a blind spot that because they're enabling the lazy person, the lazy person sitting there thinking like we read in Proverbs, the lazy person How genius am I? I don't have to do anything and everybody does for me. I mean, that's a real thing that happens. The other thing in parenting, we got some really good parents here. And I remember in parenting, I had my blind spots. And. And there are times where you go through raising your kids and you're, you're really frustrated about something. And somebody comes alongside of you and says, look, I know you weren't intending this and I know you're not trying to fail. You got a blind spot. Can I offer you some counsel about that preteen or that teenager or that toddler? Yeah. You know, and, and I listen. And all of a sudden you're like, okay, it brought healing to me. It brought restoration because I had a blind spot. I was so frustrated. Here's something I could start doing that would curb or correct an attitude or a disposition in my child that was causing me frustration.
Noah:I think something that you're saying that is really, really important for us to have clear in our minds is we can have blind spots about things that we are not blind to.
Paul:Yes,
Noah:we can look at problems in our lives, whether it be from a parenting perspective or like you're talking about right now, or it could be in our marriage relationship. It could be in our job. We could have problems that we are aware of. We're not blind to them. What what we are blind to is what we could do to improve or repair them or what we are doing that's actively causing issues or encouraging bad attitudes. We can look to take your parenting illustration. We can look at our kids and perhaps go, I know there's something, something's messed up, but we could be completely blind to how we are encouraging and enabling that behavior in our children. And like you said, unless we allow someone else to come alongside us and say, Here, here are things that you need to be doing. We won't receive the healing or the refreshment that comes with those. And, and that, that introduces another important idea. Proverbs 28 says, whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. And I think that there's probably a more specific application being made there, but there's an important principle as well. And that is if we hide our lives away from the people who could help us the most, we will have no help with our blind spots. And that is also uncomfortable. Opening up our lives to people who we have to build those relationships so that we can have people who we trust, who can, who can look into our lives and the phrase that you have used before, speak into our lives. That's an uncomfortable process. It doesn't happen overnight. But there is a sense in which this idea of concealing transgressions, again, how often do we have a problem? We see that we have a problem. We're blind to how to fix that problem. And yet we go about doing our very best to make it look like there's not a problem here. And we're surprised. We aren't actually, but we act surprised when nothing ever gets done about the problem, because there's, there's nobody to come alongside us and say, I see the problem and I'm here to help. I'm here to be of support to you. And I'm here to offer you wisdom and counsel. Well, we've hidden it away. We've hidden it away.
Paul:Yeah. It's, it's it's, it's very difficult at times to acknowledge. And this podcast today wasn't, we weren't going to go in the direction about what causes us at times. to refuse we've mentioned the pride, but you know, there's, there's just so much here in Proverbs. Again, he's, he's offering us nuggets of wisdom to help us to see things that sometimes we miss, because the ultimate goal is absolutely to honor God and to bring glory to God. But we want the best for us and the others that we genuinely care and love. And the wisdom there, if you push against it, if you reject it, there's nothing else the Lord can do.
Noah:Right. Right. Another principle in the Proverbs that I think goes along with what you're talking about is the idea of reaping what you sow. And if, if we are not we could go to Proverbs 1. There's a whole section of Proverbs 1 that talks pretty explicitly about that idea. But, put simply, we will eat the fruit of the way we live. That's chapter Proverbs 1 verse 31 and that whole context there talks about that idea. If we, if we sow to wisdom and we sow to those kinds of things, we will reap in accordance with that. But if we are not willing to sow in the first place, we will continue to have those blind spots. And and that's just a biblical principle lived out in our lives. We will reap. what we sow. And God says if we reap to wisdom and we reap to faithfulness to him and we reap to trusting in, in his will with all our heart and not leaning on our own understanding, we'll sow. We'll sow what we want to sow. And what we want to sow is, we want to sow a life that glorifies God, And is also a better life living in the image of God.
Paul:Yeah. We're looking forward to a righteous harvest, a harvest where we see development and good in our lives and that of others. Well Noah today has been, I hope a helpful journey discussion on blind spots, because I promise you, we all have them. We can deceive ourselves. And so we need to be open. and receptive to the counsel, the instruction, the wisdom from the word of God and from, from God's, God's people. So we're moving next week. We decided we were going to call it first things first, first things first. And I think that's going to be episode what?
Noah:Ten.
Paul:Ten. Ah, y'all are laughing at us right now. Episode 10 is entitled, First Things First. What is wrong with y'all? Well, come back next week. We hope that you will, and you'll listen, but it's not listening to Paul and Noah. This, I hope y'all understand, this is not the Paul and Noah podcast or show. We're trying to go through Proverbs. We just want the Lord. And his word to minister to us in the book of Proverbs is a great text because it's full of nuggets of wisdom. So thank you to those who are listening today, those who continue to give us feedback and input and our prayer is in this journey that we'll serve and please the Lord and together as we stand on his word, we can stand strong.
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