Avoiding Blind Spots
Devotions for Growing Christians
Avoiding Blind Spots
Have you ever noticed that almost every great character of faith in the Bible also made some glaring mistakes? They didn’t deliberately turn away from God, but somehow they got themselves into dicey situations. Well… Christians today aren’t much different. Believers find themselves in all kinds of odd predicaments and dilemmas, even when they think they’re doing their best to stay on track!
King Jehoshaphat is an Old Testament prime example of this scenario. His life was characterized by a good heart and a righteous walk before the Lord. He was one of only eight good kings in the history of the southern kingdom of Judah. 2 Chronicles tells us he was deeply committed to God, and steered his people away from idolatry (17:3-6). Through his leadership, many came back to the Lord and his nation’s leaders feared the Lord and judged righteously (19:4, 5-11). His public prayer before going into battle was an outstanding model of faith under pressure (20:5-13): "We don't know what to do, but our eyes are on You" (20:13).
It’s no wonder that Jehoshaphat’s life summary says: "Jehoshaphat was a good king… He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight" (20:32). But in 2 Chronicles 18 we see that Jehoshaphat made an uncharacteristic and costly mistake. He joined forces with Ahab, a wicked king from the northern kingdom of Israel.
How did this happen? What led to the blind spot in his decision-making process? The biblical answers to these questions are a good reminder for Christians today so we don't make the same mistakes. Past spiritual successes don’t guarantee future faithfulness!
Shifting priorities
It appears that Jehoshaphat's problem was a simple shift in priorities. Jehoshaphat took his eyes off the Lord and used the position God had given him to establish an unholy alliance with King Ahab. In a highly political move, he arranged a marriage between his son, Jehoram, and Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and his evil queen, Jezebel. Why? Because good relations with Ahab's northern kingdom of Israel meant more security, power, and wealth for the southern kingdom of Judah! Jehoshaphat foolishly overlooked the rampant idolatry in the north and Ahab’s record of evil doings (1 Kings 16:33).
This blind spot brought immediate trouble to Jehoshaphat's kingdom. Queen Athaliah turned out to be as wicked as her parents, and she brought unrest to Judah (2 Chronicles 22-23). Jehoshaphat’s new relationship with Ahab also created the military dilemma of chapter 18. During a “family visit,” Ahab persuaded Jehoshaphat to go into battle with him. Think of the implications of Jehoshaphat’s agreement with an evil king, saying: "You and I are as one." And many men in Judah lost their lives in battle when Jehoshaphat foolishly offered, "My troops are as your troops" (18:3).
Blind spots develop
Jesus said, “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. But when it is unhealthy, your body is filled with darkness” (Luke 11:34). In a moral sense, the Lord meant that if our spiritual eyesight is focused on Him, we’ll see and discern moral issues clearly. It’s a law that God has built into His moral universe. When we know God's Word and seek His will first, we make decisions with God's perspective.
But when God’s will is no longer our primary interest, our spiritual eyesight deteriorates. Moral issues become distorted. Blind spots accumulate. One wrong moral judgment leads to another, even if we think we have our act together!
If our focus shifts from God’s will to "my happiness," or "my material security," or "my advancement,” our moral decisions and choices are seriously affected. We begin to take on the attitude of, "What's in it for me?" When our thinking is out of focus, we may slowly find ourselves unwilling--and even unable--to do what’s right.
In the area of our financial security it’s so easy to take our eyes off the Lord. Our human desire for wealth and security can lead to questionable business decisions, including binding partnerships with non-Christians, or rationalizing shady transactions. Blind spots may also appear in the area of our physical and emotional needs. Not allowing the Lord’s guidance in social situations can lead to unhealthy friendships and relationships, marriages with unbelievers, and sexual relationships outside of marriage, etc.
We may not realize we’re turning away from God, but little by little, we transfer our focus and shift our priorities. We become desensitized to what’s wrong. Our prayer life along the way may seem to be sincere - asking God for His blessing and guidance, but it’s really focused on our own course of action. This happened to Jehoshaphat in his military decisions. He sincerely wanted to know what the Lord had to say about the battle he was about to enter. But he asked the Lord after he had already decided what he was going to do! Look at verses 3-4:
“Will you go with me [into battle against] Ramoth-gilead?” King Ahab of Israel asked King Jehoshaphat of Judah. Jehoshaphat replied, “Why, of course! You and I are as one, and my troops are your troops. We will certainly join you in battle.” Then Jehoshaphat added, “But first let’s find out what the Lord says.” (2 Chronicles 18:3-4)
Recognizing blind spots
What are some current-day examples of blind spots?
- If winning an argument with a Christian brother or sister is more important than showing Christ’s love to that person.
- If doing only "my fair share" of the work in the church becomes more important than doing all you can in Christ's strength.
- If looking good and becoming a leader in ministry is more important than serving the people with whom we’re working.
- If playing favorites in the fellowship becomes more important than playing fair.
- If gaining supporters for my "Christian" pet peeve is more important than making peace.
- If keeping money for my retirement becomes more important than giving to spread the gospel.
Do any of these examples convict you? No one’s immune to blind spots, and unfortunately, they can get increasingly worse. Poor moral decisions lead to worse moral judgments. If this cycle isn’t broken, it continues until the "whole body is full of darkness" (Luke 11:34). We may not deliberately take our eyes off the Lord, but we gradually move Him out of the driver's seat. We no longer consult the Lord about decisions such as what college to attend, what job to take, what to do with "spare" time or money, or who should be our close friends. There’s only one solution for curing blind spots: keeping our eyes focused on the Lord!
Keeping our eyes on Jesus
Even though Jehoshaphat made poor choices with Ahab, God graciously intervened (18:31) and returned him safely to Jerusalem (19:1). However, after the Lord rescued him, it’s shocking to read of another unholy alliance Jehoshaphat made. This time it was with King Ahaziah, Ahab’s wicked son (20:35).
Jehoshaphat had shifted his focus from God to another god: money! He and Ahaziah built a fleet of merchant ships together, and again there were sad results. Jehoshaphat's fleet met with disaster and never put out to sea.
So many Christians have suffered broken lives because of unholy alliances. Is your life in shipwreck stage because of blind spot decisions you made in the past? The only solution is to put our eyes back on God alone, and focus on the values and ethics He has given us in His Word.
Hebrews 12:1-2 gives us the key for avoiding blind spot living: “Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.”
- Dave Reid
(Updated 2022, Ron Reid)