Week of August 31 – September 6
Blind Spot - Man as Battle Buddy
“Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” - Proverbs 11:14 ESV
Every man has blind spots. They are called blind spots for a reason—you cannot see them yourself. When you are driving, you can check the road ahead and glance in your mirrors, but there are still places around your vehicle that remain hidden from view. Ignore them, and you can move directly into danger without ever seeing it coming. The dangerous man is not the one who has blind spots—we all do. The dangerous man is the one who believes he doesn’t have any.
The same is true spiritually. We can be remarkably good at seeing weaknesses in other people while remaining completely unaware of our own. Pride, anger, ambition, discouragement, temptation, or simply our own limited perspective can distort our judgment. We can convince ourselves that we are right and can even rationalize decisions that are leading us in the wrong direction. That is one reason God places other godly men in our lives to come alongside us and help us with our blind spots.
Solomon writes, “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14). Then he makes it even more personal: “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice” (Proverbs 12:15). Put those verses together and the message is hard to miss. A wise man recognizes that he cannot see everything clearly on his own. He deliberately surrounds himself with people who can see what he cannot.
That requires humility. We men do not always enjoy being corrected, particularly when we are convinced we are right. But a true Battle Buddy does more than encourage you and tell you what you want to hear. Proverbs 12:18 says that reckless words can wound “like sword thrusts,” but “the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Sometimes truthful words from a faithful friend may sting, but they can protect us from much greater pain down the road. A faithful friend will sound the alarm rather than quietly watch you drift into that lane that leads to trouble.
Yet Solomon also warns us to choose our counselors carefully. “One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray” (Proverbs 12:26). So, a godly Battle Buddy is a man who knows God’s Word and is committed to living by it. Avoid all others. See, not everyone deserves equal influence in your life. We live in a world overflowing with opinions—from social media, coworkers, friends, and countless other sources. The question is not whether we are being influenced. The question is who is influencing us and where they are guiding us: Safety or Oncoming Traffic!
There is another side to this. We not only need to connect with a wise Battle Buddy, we also need to be one. Are you the kind of man another brother can call when his marriage is struggling, when temptation is closing in, when he faces a difficult decision, or when life has knocked him down? Will you listen? Will you pray with him? And when necessary, will you love him enough to speak biblical wisdom even when that truth is difficult?
Men, none of us is strong enough or wise enough to go through life alone. We all have blind spots, weak moments, and battles we cannot win by ourselves. But God has given us brothers in Christ who can help us see what we are missing and stand beside us when the fight gets hard. So, ask yourself: Who can see your blind spot? Who has permission to warn you when you are drifting toward danger? And just as importantly, whose life are you watching closely enough to do the same?
Blind Spot - Man as Battle Buddy
“Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” - Proverbs 11:14 ESV
Every man has blind spots. They are called blind spots for a reason—you cannot see them yourself. When you are driving, you can check the road ahead and glance in your mirrors, but there are still places around your vehicle that remain hidden from view. Ignore them, and you can move directly into danger without ever seeing it coming. The dangerous man is not the one who has blind spots—we all do. The dangerous man is the one who believes he doesn’t have any.
The same is true spiritually. We can be remarkably good at seeing weaknesses in other people while remaining completely unaware of our own. Pride, anger, ambition, discouragement, temptation, or simply our own limited perspective can distort our judgment. We can convince ourselves that we are right and can even rationalize decisions that are leading us in the wrong direction. That is one reason God places other godly men in our lives to come alongside us and help us with our blind spots.
Solomon writes, “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14). Then he makes it even more personal: “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice” (Proverbs 12:15). Put those verses together and the message is hard to miss. A wise man recognizes that he cannot see everything clearly on his own. He deliberately surrounds himself with people who can see what he cannot.
That requires humility. We men do not always enjoy being corrected, particularly when we are convinced we are right. But a true Battle Buddy does more than encourage you and tell you what you want to hear. Proverbs 12:18 says that reckless words can wound “like sword thrusts,” but “the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Sometimes truthful words from a faithful friend may sting, but they can protect us from much greater pain down the road. A faithful friend will sound the alarm rather than quietly watch you drift into that lane that leads to trouble.
Yet Solomon also warns us to choose our counselors carefully. “One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray” (Proverbs 12:26). So, a godly Battle Buddy is a man who knows God’s Word and is committed to living by it. Avoid all others. See, not everyone deserves equal influence in your life. We live in a world overflowing with opinions—from social media, coworkers, friends, and countless other sources. The question is not whether we are being influenced. The question is who is influencing us and where they are guiding us: Safety or Oncoming Traffic!
There is another side to this. We not only need to connect with a wise Battle Buddy, we also need to be one. Are you the kind of man another brother can call when his marriage is struggling, when temptation is closing in, when he faces a difficult decision, or when life has knocked him down? Will you listen? Will you pray with him? And when necessary, will you love him enough to speak biblical wisdom even when that truth is difficult?
Men, none of us is strong enough or wise enough to go through life alone. We all have blind spots, weak moments, and battles we cannot win by ourselves. But God has given us brothers in Christ who can help us see what we are missing and stand beside us when the fight gets hard. So, ask yourself: Who can see your blind spot? Who has permission to warn you when you are drifting toward danger? And just as importantly, whose life are you watching closely enough to do the same?
- Who has permission to point out the blind spots in your life, even when you do not want to hear it?
- Is there a brother with a blind spot in your life who needs you to step up speak an encouraging—or perhaps difficult—word of biblical wisdom right now?
- Pray and ask God to grant you the humility to allow another man to help point out your blind spots and enter a covenant that you will do the same for him.