If you’ve ever had a comprehensive vision check, you probably remember a device that would shoot a puff of air directly into your eye. Instinctually, we jump a little and our eyes begin to water. It feels silly, but it’s a natural response. The worst part is switching eyes and getting the next one lined up when you know what’s coming.

The reason eye doctors do this test is to look for a condition called glaucoma. It’s a serious disease that causes pressure to build up in your eyes, damaging your optic nerve. Left unchecked, it leads to blind spots in your vision. What’s surprising is that when you have glaucoma, you don’t see any dead spots in your vision. Our brains automatically fill in the empty spaces. So, the only way we can know about these blind spots is through the help of an eye specialist.

But blind spots occur in other areas of our lives as well.

That we all have areas of vulnerability is no surprise to anyone. But what’s concerning is that our greatest areas of weakness might be things we don’t even know about ourselves. Like blind spots in our vision, it requires a close observer to point them out to us.

  • Maybe we too easily dismiss other’s ideas.
  • Maybe we overestimate our abilities.
  • Maybe in conversations, we try to make everything about ourselves.
  • Maybe we’re too cautious when it’s time to lead with bold direction.

Leadership expert Steve Gutzler offers the first step for overcoming blind spots: “Believe you have them.”

Secretly, we all hope that this doesn’t apply to us. But his advice is helpful and instructive. Of course you have blind spots. We all do.

Having people in our lives who have freedom to speak into these blind spots, not to hurt us, but to help us grow, is essential. While this feedback can be painful to hear, God can use it to grow us and shape our character.

As it says in Proverbs 27:6:

Wounds from a friend can be trusted, 
but an enemy multiplies kisses.

King David’s prayer in Psalm 139 is a great example of dealing with blind spots. He takes his unknown sins and weaknesses to God:

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.

Fortunately, we don’t have to be perfect leaders to be used by God. He knows all our vulnerabilities, but amazingly, God can work even through these areas of weakness, as we offer our lives for His service.

Steve Gutzler puts it this way, “The best leaders I know aren’t the ones with the fewest weaknesses — they’re the ones brave enough to face them.”

Blessings,