WHO'S RIGHT?
Proverbs 21:2 NKJV
2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,
But the Lord weighs the hearts.
This is one of those Proverbs with a bit of a sting. But the sting is good if it causes us to check our hearts.
There is something within all of us that wants to self-justify—going back to the beginning when Adam and Eve were confronted by God after their disobedience. When God spoke to Adam, holding him accountable as the head of the relationship, Adam blamed the woman that God had given him. Talk about self-justification on another level. Adam believed he was in the right, and it was God's fault and Eve's fault. Eve blamed the snake, and thus, it began.
One of the biggest challenges of believing we are right in our own eyes is that we cut ourselves off from outside counsel. If we are right, why would we need to listen to someone else? If we are right in our own eyes, we increase the probability of missing the blind spots in our lives.
Blind spots are those areas in our lives where we are wrong, but we just don't see it. If you want to stir things up a bit, ask someone who is close to you, who you trust, what the blind spots are in your life. This is a bit similar to pulling the pin on a grenade and throwing it into the room that you are in. Now, if the person you ask says you have no blind spots, you need to ask someone else. They are either not being truthful, or they are blatantly unaware. This idea should come with a warning label because when someone tells you your blind spots, your first tendency is to become defensive. That's because we are all right in our own eyes. But if you can handle the truth, the conversation can turn out to be highly productive.
And the bottom line of this proverb is that regardless of what we say or think, God looks at the heart. We can look at actions and behaviors, but God looks beyond them and weighs the heart. Actions can reveal heart, but judging someone's heart is an area where we should tread lightly. Remember, we do not know the whole story; only God does.
If you are not in a position to trust another person in your life with your blind spots, then you are not alone. In fact, the first place we should turn when attempting to discover the blind spots in our lives is the Lord. He is merciful and gracious. And even when He corrects, it is not to crush you but to produce good things in you. Someone said years ago about a football coach that "he can step on your shoes without ruining your shine." Your Heavenly Father has no agenda. He has no need to put you down in order to lift Himself. And He knows the whole story.
PRAYER
Dear Heavenly Father, please show me the blind spots in my life. I do not want to be right in my own eyes; I want to be right before You.