No more throw aways

I love how “assemblage” artists can take salvaged rubble, from broken bicycle wheels and bowling balls to discarded tires and damaged TV sets—things no longer usable—and create sculptures that convey a message about how people’s “throw-aways” can be re-purposed and have value.  

In Jesus’ day, those with diseases and physical challenges were often considered “throw-aways” as sinners being punished by God. They were shunned and ignored. But when Jesus and His disciples encountered a man born blind, Jesus said the man’s condition was not the result of sin, but an occasion to see the power of God (John 9:1-31).  When the blind man followed Jesus’s instructions to wash in the pool of Siloam, he was able to see. Later, when the religious authorities refused to believe this miracle had happened, they questioned him, he replied simply, “One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”  

Ruth Haley Barton, in her book Pursuing God’s Will Together, says, “This story reveals that those who admit their blindness see, but those who are convinced that they see will not be able to see anything new. True discernment begins with admitting that we are not all that good at seeing.”* Am I able to admit that sometimes I’m not that good at seeing? Could the single most limiting factor in my spiritual growth and maturity be pridefulness? I am learning that when I lack curiosity and humility, I can become guarded and prideful in my assumptions. I can become resistant to God’s Spirit, and consequently, I am unable to see.  

Pride is our greatest enemy to growth in the spiritual life, and humility is our greatest friend. Our pridefulness results in our effort to perfect ourselves apart from God’s loving grace. The consequence of this effort is our striving, short sightedness, and lack of humility. But the path of true humility in Christ sets us free from shame and pridefulness, so that we can accept the works of God, can truly see Him, and can find our true identity in Him.  

Prayer: Holy God, I admit that I’m not at all good at seeing. I don’t want to be blind to where You are at work. Loosen my grip on my need to be right. Help me to learn from You. Forgive me for my pridefulness. Open my eyes so that I can see you as you truly are and see my true identity in You. Amen  

* Ruth Haley Barton, Pursuing God’s Will Together: A Discernment Practice for Leadership Groups, InterVarsity Press, ©2012, p. 30