You Can't Change What You Can't See
OBJECTS: More Than Meets the Eye — Part 5: The Flashlight
Have you ever walked into a dark room and reached for a flashlight?
Maybe you're looking for something you dropped under the couch, trying to find your way through the garage, or navigating your home during a power outage.
When you turn on that flashlight, something remarkable happens. Suddenly, you can see what was right in front of you all along.
The light didn't change anything in the room. It simply changed what you could see.
And sometimes, that's exactly what we need God to do in our lives.
When Jesus Brought Light Into Darkness
In John chapter 9, Jesus encounters a man who had been blind since birth. This man had never seen a sunrise, the colors of a flower, or the faces of the people he loved. His entire life had been lived without sight.
When the disciples saw him, their first question wasn't how they could help. They wanted to know who was responsible for his condition.
But Jesus saw something different.
Rather than focusing on blame, Jesus saw an opportunity for God's work to be revealed.
He told His disciples:
"While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." — John 9:5
Then Jesus did something unexpected. He made mud with His saliva, placed it on the man's eyes, and instructed him to wash in the Pool of Siloam.
The man obeyed.
And for the first time in his life, he could see.
Imagine that moment. The sky, the sunlight, the colors, the faces of people he had only known by their voices. Everything was suddenly visible.
But here's what makes this miracle so meaningful.
None of those things had just appeared. They had been there all along.
What changed was the man's ability to see them.
The Blind Spots We Don't Recognize
We all have things in our lives that we struggle to see clearly.
Sometimes we recognize the problems around us but fail to understand our own part in them.
We change jobs, relationships, friendships, or circumstances, hoping things will improve. Yet somehow, the same frustrations keep finding their way back into our lives.
Maybe the problem isn't always what's happening around us.
Maybe there's something happening within us that we haven't been willing or able to see.
It could be the way we speak to the people closest to us. A grudge we've carried for so long that it feels normal. Or a tendency to recognize everyone else's mistakes while overlooking our own.
These are our blind spots.
And the trouble with blind spots is that we don't know they're there.
We can't change what we can't see.
Asking God to Shine His Light
In Psalm 139:23–24, King David prayed:
"Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
That's a courageous prayer.
David wasn't asking God to show him what was wrong with everyone else. He was inviting God to examine his own heart.
It's not always comfortable to ask God to reveal things about ourselves that we'd rather not acknowledge.
But that's where real growth begins.
God's light can reveal the attitudes, habits, hurts, and behaviors that have been holding us back.
And the beautiful thing is that God doesn't simply show us what needs to change.
He helps us change it.
Seeing Jesus More Clearly
The story in John 9 doesn't end when the man receives his sight.
After the miracle, the religious leaders question him repeatedly. They challenge his story, criticize Jesus for healing on the Sabbath, and eventually throw the man out.
But Jesus isn't finished with him.
Jesus finds the man again and reveals who He truly is.
And this time, the man sees something even greater than the world around him.
He recognizes Jesus as the Messiah.
The man who began the day unable to see anything now sees the One who can transform everything.
That's what happens when we allow God's light into our lives.
We begin to see ourselves more clearly. We recognize what needs to change. And most importantly, we begin to see Jesus for who He really is.
What Might God Be Trying to Show You?
The next time you reach for a flashlight, remember this simple truth:
A flashlight doesn't change what's there. It changes what you can see.
Maybe there's an area of your life where you've been struggling to make things better, but nothing seems to work.
Instead of asking God to change your circumstances, what if you asked Him to show you something you haven't been seeing?
What if you prayed David's prayer and invited God to search your heart?
It might reveal something uncomfortable.
But it could also be the beginning of something wonderful.
Because when we see Jesus more clearly, everything else begins to come into focus.
And when God shows us what needs to change, we can trust Him to help us take the next step.
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