Cataracts Of The Mind

Are you spiritually blind, or limited in seeing the truth in any way?

This is what the Lord has to say to those who dismiss this possibility in themselves and claim to be able to see just fine:

If “you claim you can see, your guilt remains”.

Unlike physical blindness, those inflicted with spiritual blindness, don’t know they are incapacitated. They don’t know they are diseased with blindness of the mind and soul. Such were the ophthalmological thoughts presented in Claiming Christ.

Some are totally in the dark, completely at a loss to recognize truth at all…but they don’t know it. They think they are wise, informed, and capable of rational thought.

Many within the Christian community are infected, but can’t recognize the symptoms of cataracts of the mind. All their senses seem functional. Their ministers and friends cheer them on without ever identifying cautions or warning signs to avoid. Blindsided by blindness, they blunder along ignorant of their declining vision. As the Spirit laments: my ministers do not confront my people with their sins (Lam 2:14). Little has changed from then to now.

Large numbers of believers are unwittingly exposing themselves to visual viruses that can damage their spiritual eyes. The mass of humanity stumbles along in pursuit of temporary dreams, unable to wake up and see the real world. The blind lead the blind, and few are willing to admit the epidemic has reached them.

It sounds apocalyptic, like some invading army just under the skin, but in this case, the blind spots are unrecognizable through normal methods. The sad reality is that many churches don’t teach Christians to be aware of such a problem, assuming incorrectly that spiritual blindness can only attack the wicked unbeliever, like some racially prejudiced pathogen.

The Laodicean Christians were like this. They thought they could see, that they had their act together, that they were good and godly as believers covered by the forgiving blood of Jesus. But when confronted by Jesus in the book of Revelation, they were warned about the reality that they were spiritually blind–Believers, recognized by Jesus as Christians whom he loved, but blind to their true condition and in dire need of repentance.

Repeatedly through the New Testament, followers of the Way (now called Christians), are encouraged to be more than just hearers of the word, but also doers, or they will become self-deceived, aka spiritually blind without realizing it. This is not spoken to the pagan. It is spoken as a caution to the Church, for those with ears to hear.

“if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness”.

Blindness of mind, body, and soul, and all because of what we allow to remain in our vision. This vulnerability is the very reason the Lord taught the humble to check for the plank in our own eyes when considering the problems we recognize around us. Our eyes can get planked. If left untreated long enough, or if we add more debris into our mind’s eye, eventually we will not only reduce our vision, we will go blind.

Christians have protection, but they are not immune. Such protection comes through staying close to Jesus, something he describes very simply as “he who hears these words of mine, and puts them into practice….” Or, in another wording, he says, “he who loves me, obeys my word”. Of course, partial obedience will only result in partial blindness, but our condition will deteriorate rapidly if we refuse to obey all of his expectations.

You can’t see it, but it is very real, and very common.

Because many who are called by God will refuse to love the truth, he declares that he will give them over to a delusion to think they can see. They will think they are Christian, but God sees it differently.

If you can recognize the truth in this post, how will you show God that you love it? If you hear what he says, even though some of it is hard to take, what will you do to embrace it? What does the pattern of your day show about your passion for his truth? How about your evening activities? What is filling your mind? The things you let your eyes view? What do you see?

What are you going to do about the blurry spots, or are you still convinced that you don’t have any?