Spiritual Blind Spots: Learning How To Fall
Posted on April 10, 2010 by Kevin LaMar Sr, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.
A story on how to deal with falling short of one's goals and how to recover from the disappointment
The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again.
But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.
Proverbs 24:16 NLT
One of the first lessons learned by the beginning martial arts student is how to fall. By instinct , human beings are afraid of falling and will do almost anything to save themselves from the potential pain and embarrassment of doing so. How many of us have seen (or been!) the individual desperately clutching for the handrail as he or she realizes that a trip to the bottom of the staircase is going to happen sooner than expected?
In the dojo, it is usually quite humorous to see adults that has spent all their lives avoiding a fall, attempt to roll or equally distribute their weight when thrown They will attempt to prevent the throw, flail in midair, or even roll into a ball. The result is usually unnecessary injury being caused to them and or the individual throwing them. Learning how to fall properly will lessen the probability of such injury.
Falling short of what God expects of us is a reality, and Christians should learn to accept that truth, but quickly recover from it. It doesn’t mean that one should plan to fail, however failure to plan can prove to have life-altering consequences.
When the Word tells us to get up after a fall, it should be expected that we will be able to do so. God is not the mean drill sergeant that tells his soldiers to “just suck it up.” He doesn’t ignore our pain, but sustains us throughout the process.
How does one make a plan when they have gone to a point and are stuck-unaware of what the next step is? How does one implement a plan especially when they are afraid of falling short?
First, identify areas that cause you to fall short. Most of us are aware of the obvious and address them daily, but there are some unknown, hidden characteristics we don’t know about that work in and through us on a daily basis. We may not be aware of them, but the people we come in contact with regularly certainly do know and often pay the price for our ignorance.
Psalms 19:12-13 reads, “Who perceives his intentional sins? Cleanse me from my hidden faults. Moreover, keep Your servant from willful sins; do not let them rule over me. Then I will be innocent and cleansed from blatant rebellion.”
These are what are called “spiritual blind spots.” They are the things that take us by surprise and entangle us. For some of us, the root of these blind spots may be a fear of failure or rejection. For some, it may even be a fear of success. Still for some, the blind spots are more obvious. Denial will make us ignore wisdom and feel that there is a “need” for the pursuit of sex, money, drugs, and other symbols of perceived control and power.
Isn’t it ironic that many of the things that make us temporarily feel powerful and in control are actually indications of a lack of discipline and spiritual immaturity?
Neglecting these blind spots will lead individuals to believe they are “stuck in a rut” or “just going through the motions.” As a result, they become complacent or so discouraged that they never proactively look for a solution to resolving their situation. They grow to believe that being “stuck” is their only option.
By understanding that being down is only temporary, one may be spurred into positive action, instead of dwelling in self-pity. We must ask God to show us the things we cannot see. Prayer and awareness of your true spiritual position can help to eliminate spiritual blind spots.
