Spiritual Blindness
Today’s verses serve as a sobering reminder that our hearts must remain open to God’s Word, as well as a warning to those who are unwilling to see the error of their ways and repent. Continual rejection of God’s truth eventually impairs our ability to receive it all together, leading to spiritual blindness and room for the enemy to attack us.
As I walk through my own life, Jesus has shown me where I falter. I saw the ugliness of my mistakes, and I went to Him in prayer of repentance, asking Him to open my eyes to the world around me. My best friend used to tell me, “you’re like a turtle with its head in the sand.” I tried to be a good, Christian mom, but I know I have made mistakes. As I grow older, hindsight has shown me the truth of my friend’s words. I see where I went wrong in the behavior of my children. Instead of correcting them, I was afraid of an argument, so I let things pass, praying they would find their way, but they haven’t always done so.
This year has been especially tough for my family. Two of my boys, the oldest and the youngest, whilst they love the Lord, are not where they should be in Jesus, and it has impacted us all severely. My oldest son has a stubborn personality and can be very hard to reason with. My youngest son only sees his own problems and seeks worldly pleasures to console himself. I have been praying earnestly for them both. I try to reach them, but they do not want to hear what I have to say, causing a great strain on not only our relationship but the whole family as well. I just want them to open their hearts and go to Jesus so they can find the right way. This is something we all need to do in our lives. Sometimes we are unaware of our behavior, thinking we are right, but we are going the wrong way into disaster. Our hearts need to be open, so we can hear the truth of God’s word, see the error of our ways, and repent.
My daughter drifted for a time, but when she found her way she came to me and asked forgiveness, allowing our relationship with each other and the Lord to flourish greatly. Without my daughter’s willingness to humble herself before the Lord, I wouldn’t have the relationship I have with her today. I thank God for it, and for my daughter’s family. They have been the ones taking care of me in my elder years, especially this past year that I have been so sick and close to death. I am glad for my middle son as well, serving in the church with his wife and their three sons.
My prayer now is for my oldest and my youngest sons to repent the same way as their sister and not to continue in their spiritual blindness, allowing their hearts to harden further. In the Bible, Paul warns us that “the god of the age” can blind us from the truth of Jesus Christ. We must all grow closer to the Lord for the days ahead are growing more evil as time goes by and approaches Jesus’ return. Lord, keep us from strife and division; let forgiveness and kindness abound in our midst, and may we always encourage one another to good works, holiness, and to seek Thy face.
This is a difficult post for me to write, as it is very personal, but it is for all the hurting parents who are sad from their children’s absences. It is something I saw with my siblings when our dad was alive, and now with some of my own children. There is a saying that resonates with all parents as we get older, “don’t send flowers when I die, bring me flowers while I am still alive.”
Ephesians 4:17-18
17-This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
18-having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.
Isaiah 6:9-10
9-And He [the Lord] said, “Go, and tell this people, ‘Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
10-Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.’”