A journey in the dark
(c) BBM and www.lumoproject.com, used with permission
Have you ever had to walk into an unknown situation? Sometimes serving the Lord, we will have to do things we do not understand. That leaves us needing to learn how to cope with anxiety while doing great things for the Lord. Learn from the example of a man born blind…
The man stumbled down the path to the spring-fed pool of water. With dirt rubbed into his eyes, people surely turned to look and frown at how he stood out from normal people. Meeting Jesus had not turned out like you would think. In several ways, this man illustrates the journey of becoming a true disciple.
The action plan for making disciples can mostly be found in Matthew and Luke. The writer of the Gospel of John, however, used stories to get across many of the same ideas. One story that shows us how a disciple develops is the story of the man born blind in John chapter 9.
We all start out in the dark
None of us is born like Jesus. We all begin not knowing God’s plan, His power, or purpose for our lives. Yet we must all meet with Him.
The man born with impaired vision had learned to exist with his disability. Jesus saw him, though, and would not leave him like that. One encounter with the Master, and the man’s life changed forever.
However, encountering Jesus did not change everything. In fact, you could say it made things worse. Most likely the blind man had never had someone spit in his eye until that day.
Jesus actually spit into the dirt, made some mud, and then rubbed it into the man’s eyes. Then, worst of all, He told him to walk across town. For half a mile, the man had to bump and stumble along to arrive at his destination. I have felt like him at times in my journey when I did not know where to turn next–hence my need for the Lord to teach me how to cope with the anxiety caused by such situations.
Uncertainty? Learn how to cope with anxiety
When you first met Jesus, you did not really understand what He was doing in your life. You did not see what all would happen down the road as you learned to follow Him. Still, you trusted Him.
The heart of a disciple is to be one who will follow the Lord even when we do not understand. One day we will see. The man received his sight after following the Lord’s commands. On the way back, he could see.
Someday, you will be able to look back and see where the Lord has taken you. While you are on the journey, you do not see everything clearly. Like the man walking the same path back to where he first met Jesus, one day the journey will make sense. You will see what those bumps in the road were all about. You will comprehend what the obstacles, noises, and distractions were all about. For now, you continue forward, looking into the future as through a tinted window (I Corinthians 13:12). One day you and I will be changed when we see Jesus in all His fullness.
Trust is core to being a disciple
If that man had not trusted Jesus, he would not have let the Lord do something so unusual in his life. He would not have walked that unfamiliar road. You are following the Lord because you trust Him.
You see, being a disciple makes you stand out. Like the people who must have stared at the man with muddy eyes, outsiders will frown at you and the changes you are making in your life. That’s okay. You know Jesus would not anything to just make you a freak. He has a plan you cannot see now–just don’t let the anxiety get to you!
Where has your journey to the unknown taken you? Where might it still lead? Only time will tell. Once you see it, it will be worth it all!
Defending Jesus to skeptics
The healed man was called in to give an answer to the religious right. They were upset that Jesus was messing up their traditions. This man did not back down at their threats and glaring stares.
True disciples stand for Jesus. Fake followers cave to the bullying and peer pressure of people they admire more than Jesus. When you love Jesus, you do not care what others think.
The healed man got one of the worst social rejections of his day—worse than getting blocked on Facebook—they threw him out of the synagogue. In other words, his church excommunicated him. He did not care! In fact, he invited them to be disciples of Jesus, too!
You could say this would be more cause for anxiety than anything. However this is a good cure–stand up for the Lord even when you don’t fully understand. Want to cope with anxiety correctly? Help someone else even if you are feeling down yourself!
Grow to see Jesus better and better
At first, this disabled man did not even know who Jesus was. Then, he identified him as the man who had healed him. When pressed by the religious professionals, he called Jesus a prophet.
To this healed man, he thought it was a great insight to know that Jesus was a prophet and he laughed at the religious people who did not realize this. Then, his understanding changed! Jesus showed him that He was the Son of God.
When the man’s spiritual eyes opened, he saw not only Jesus as Son of God, but he fell down and worshiped Him as Lord! A disciple continues to grow in deeper understanding of who Jesus is.
Are your eyes continuing to be opened? Living under anxiety will blind you. When you learn to cope, you will see Jesus better! My prayer for you is that the Lord would “give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling” and grow in Him more and more (Ephesians 1:17-18).