Taking Off the Blinders

My brain never seems to shut down. It is always thinking, planning, and exploring the possibilities of life. But with this continual mental activity comes a down side, I don't always fully engage the world around me.

Just this past week, someone gently reminded me, that I had my blinders on as I was driving and I didn't take the opportunity to wave and interact with them.

As a pastor, I have been wrestling hard with this simple transgression. As pastors we are often viewed as super-heroes in the eyes of our congregation. And for some of us, like me, I take it hard when I fail. But for me this is more than just a common one time failure. This is an area of struggle.

I am one who lives my life way too often between my ears. I interact with the world so much between my ears that I often fail to interact with the world outside of myself. I have come a long way in interacting with the outside world, but it is oh so easy to drift back into my thoughts and live life on the inside.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 28:19, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations...", but how am I (and others like me) to make disciples when we struggle to take off the blinders and live life outside of ourselves?

For me I have to live every moment of every day in the presence of the Holy Spirit to overcome my blinders (sometimes I succeed/but I also fail in this area). What that means for me is that I have to focus on something (namely the Holy Spirit) that is outside of myself. By focusing on the power of the Holy Spirit, I am reminded that I am not here for my own glory but I am here for His Glory and I am forced to ask myself, "What am I doing to make a difference in the life of those around me in order to give God glory"?

I pray today that your focus is on the Holy Spirit and that you live by the Holy Spirit. And I guarantee you that your life will become very different.