I was at a business seminar yesterday and I heard the speaker
talk about “Store blindness”. It is where as the shop owner; you can be in your “store”
for so long that you begin to miss what others see as obvious when they enter
with fresh eyes. For example, you can be in a place so long, with a broken
light, but you have lived with it so long that eventually you no longer see it
as a problem. It is not until someone talks in an innocently says, your light
is broken that you are reminded that needs fixing.
It reminds me of when Paul was speaking to the Jews, he
tried so many ways to help them open their eyes to the changes, the “Jesus”
they missed. He came against opposition from the Jewish leaders over and over
again, because they were comfortable with their religion just the way it was
(Acts 24:25). Paul comes against opposition over and over again, he is not
asking them to NOT be Jews, but to be open to the fresh salvation that Jesus
brings when He died on the cross. Open to the new freedom and expression that it
brings to our faith, to no longer to live under law. He says they have
developed “Calloused” hearts. Acts 28:27
paints a strong picture as Paul quotes from Isaiah.
For this people's heart has become
calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with
their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.(Act 28:27)
The word “Calloused”, comes from the original word pachuno meaning “to make fat…calloused
as if from fat”. It is an expression we are most familiar with when it comes to
health and exercise. So, the same principal applies to our hearts, for the
Jews, religion had become more a state of mind, a series of practices, rather
than a response from the heart.
The result for Paul was that he was placed under house
arrest for two years. It did not stop him from speaking to people whenever he
could, but for the religious Jews, he was to be outlawed.
It is like someone coming into the “shop” and pointing
out a few things that need to be changed and the owner kicking them out and
refusing to listen to the person with the fresh eyes, someone that might be
able to help the owner to see, what they had become blind to.
My deep prayer is that I don’t suffer from “Store
Blindness” and more importantly when I do I am open to someone coming in and
shining the light on what might need to be seen with fresh eyes.
This one reason that I make it a priority to get out
of the “store” regularly, it helps us to keep open to new things and the wind
of the spirit. I am speaking about ministry now, or the role I play leading a
community of faith. But this is also important as a mother, wife and friend and
the work place, there is always things to learn and be open to in all areas of
life. Every time I open my ears to hear and my eyes to see and my heart to
God’s voice, he changes me, challenges me and transforms me. But my role is to
take that first step, so I will not become calloused. As I look back over my 26
years of formal ministry, I shouldn’t be amazed at the times when I have
stepped out with an open heart, how God has reshaped and helped me re-think.
This has not always been met with positive responses, I suppose like Paul I to
have felted imprisoned, or outlawed or persecuted at times for the message I
speak when I have come back to the “shop” with fresh eyes. That is not easy, and many times I have
wished I would just be quiet and put my head down, even when the “lights” are
broken and need changing. This doesn’t seem to be in my nature, to keep quiet I
mean, so it is nice to read of Paul and others in scripture that have had more troubles
than I would ever want to experience.
For two years Paul was under house arrest. During this
time he wrote the book of Colossians.
Colossians 2:8 says…
See to it that no one takes you
captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human
tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on
Christ.
At this time he was speaking strongly against the
“deceptive philosophy” of Gnosticism, Legalism, Mysticism and Asceticism. He
was addressing the faithful believers. What powerful words for us to consider
or reconsider…..lest we become dependant on our own human traditions rather
than what Christ calls us to.
I have learnt, the hard way, that “we” are only open
to change when we are willing to ask the questions ourselves. There have many
times that I have started a conversation about things that I feel people need
to “reconsider” or “re-think” and have come against brick walls. I am praying
God continues to soften me to be open to His leading in this area. To be open
to waiting till others want to ask the question. Then they know I will go on
the journey with them. Are you willing to “step out of the store” and be open
to what God might want you to see?
So, my challenge to us all is…. Is the church today suffering
from “Store blindness”? Have we become
“calloused” and no longer have hearts open to how God longs to see the church
in 2014? Have we become captive to a structure which depends on human tradition
rather than the on Christ?”. If you have eyes to hear and ears to listen, what
would He say to you today about your ministry?
If you want to ask these questions…I am up for a
conversation?
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