Stop Asking Blind People To Proofread Your Vision.

Since my wife's birthday is on Monday, I thought I'd do something special for her instead of my usual blog post as a dedication. So today, I'm taking the opportunity to talk to the congregation. I mean those who are attending Bedside Baptist. It's been a minute since I've written a message, so why not? By the way, this whole conversation actually came up in my recent interview. If you want to hear more about this topic and how it's shaped my journey, check it out here:

https://youtu.be/-wxt2Az3-_I

Turn to your neighbor and say, "stop asking blind people to proofread your vision."
Go ahead, I'll wait.
Now, I know what some of y'all are thinking: "But the Bible says we need counsel!" I know, I know, I too heard that a million times and you're absolutely right. It does. But even Jesus had to tell some folks, "You are the blind leading the blind, and you'll both fall into a ditch" (Matthew 15:14). And I'm pretty sure He wasn't being subtle about it either. Bro, I've fallen in a few ditches myself, so I definitely understand. But there's a difference between godly counsel and well-meaning opinions from people who've never been where you're trying to go.

Personally I think the scripture assumes you're getting wisdom from the wise, not advice from people whose biggest accomplishment is staying comfortable. You wouldn't ask someone who's never left their Chicago for directions to New Mexico. Meaning: You wouldn't ask someone who's never left their hometown for directions to a place they've never been. Right? So why do we keep asking people who haven't walked our path to validate our dreams?

For years, I sat in a space where everyone saw the world through the same lens, not because we'd each discovered truth independently, but because leadership had carefully shaped what we were allowed to see. Our faith, our perspectives, our very sense of what was possible: all filtered through people who had a vested interest in keeping things exactly as they were. The culture wasn't designed to help us grow. It was designed to maintain itself. And if you dared to question it? If you saw something beyond those four walls? You weren't visionary, you were problematic.

There's an old saying about crabs in a barrel: when one tries to climb out, the others pull it back down. Not out of malice necessarily, but because that's what happens when everyone's stuck in the same small space, conditioned to believe the walls are the whole world.
People will try to keep you suppressed. Sometimes they do it consciously, protecting their own position or worldview. More often, they do it unconsciously, because your growth reminds them of their stagnation, your questions threaten their certainty, and your vision exposes the limits of theirs.

When everyone in your circle sees things the same way, that's not community. That's an echo chamber. And echo chambers don't produce growth, they produce conformity. The same voices that say "amen" on Sunday won't believe in your dreams on Monday. Here's what I've learned: you cannot expect someone who has never been where you're trying to go to give you directions. They can guess. They can assume. They can tell you all the reasons why you shouldn't try. But they cannot guide you, because they don't know the way. The person who's never started a business can't tell you how to scale one. The person who's never left toxic patterns can't show you how to break free. The person who's never questioned their conditioning can't help you think independently. The person who's never pursued their own vision can't validate yours.
They're blind to your vision, not because they're bad people, but because they've never seen what you're trying to see. And here's the uncomfortable truth: sometimes the blindest people are the ones standing in pulpits, sitting in boardrooms, or occupying positions of authority. A title doesn't equal sight. Position doesn't equal perspective.

Your vision will be tested, not by those who understand it, but by those who fear it. It'll be dismissed as impractical by people who've never built anything. It may even be called selfish by people who benefit from your staying small. It'll be labeled as "worldly or ungodly" by people who've confused comfort with holiness or even questioned by people who stopped asking questions years ago. That's not a sign that your vision is wrong. That's a sign that you're outgrowing the barrel. This doesn't mean you should dismiss everyone who hasn't reached where you are. But it does mean you need to be intentional about whose voices you let shape your direction.

If you're waiting for the people around you to validate your vision, understand this: they can't give you what they don't have. Their approval was never the key to your lock. The only permission you need is your own. Stop explaining your dreams to people who've never dreamed beyond their circumstances. Stop defending your vision to those who profit from your staying small. Stop asking blind people to read what they cannot see. Stop shrinking yourself to fit into spaces you've outgrown.

Your vision is yours.

Church, let me be clear. Some of you reading this are still in that environment. You're surrounded by people who mean well but see small. You're in a culture that calls conformity "unity" and calls common sense"rebellion." You’re not crazy. You're not arrogant. You're not "disobedient." You're waking up. And the people who've been sleeping their whole lives will absolutely tell you that you're the one who's confused. Don't let blind people read your vision. They'll misinterpret every word, misunderstand every dream, and try to edit your story into something that makes them comfortable. The moment you stop seeking validation from people who can't see where you're going is the moment you start actually getting there. Now turn to your neighbor one more time and say, "My vision requires new eyes."

Pause.

So as I close, with all eyes closed and all minds clear... May you go forth and pursue the vision that keeps you up at night.
May you find guides who've actually been somewhere instead of people who've just read about it.

May you have the courage to outgrow circles that no longer fit, and the wisdom to know that leaving the barrel doesn't make you a bad crab, it makes you a free crab.

May everyone that reads this but doesn't give it a thumbs up, heart or like because they're afraid of what someone might say, or see that they agreed with it, just know that your secret is safe with me.

And may you remember: if they can't see it, they can't speak to it. So stop asking for directions from people who are lost themselves.
Now go in peace, protect your vision, and for the love of God, stop explaining yourself to people who benefit from your confusion.

Now ushers close the door. The offering plates are in the back. I also accept Cash App, Venmo, Zelle, and prayers that are actually specific.

Dismissed. See y'all next week