GROWTH

One of the most beautiful things about Jesus is that He never overlooks people. While others saw a blind man, Jesus saw someone He loved. While others saw a problem, Jesus saw a person. Throughout the Gospels we repeatedly see Christ moving toward those who were hurting, broken, forgotten, and in need.

Before healing the man, Jesus did something unexpected. Mark tells us that He took him by the hand and led him out of the village. The miracle did not begin in front of the crowd. It began away from the familiar surroundings that the man had always known. This is often how God works in our lives. Before He changes what is happening within us, He frequently begins by changing where we are standing spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. Sometimes He leads us away from old habits, old influences, old mindsets, and old comforts because they are preventing us from seeing clearly.

The blind man could not see where Jesus was taking him, yet he trusted the hand that was leading him. That is one of the great challenges of faith. We often want answers before obedience. We want the full picture before taking the first step. Yet God regularly asks His people to trust Him before they understand everything He is doing. This is why PROVERBS 3:5–6 (ESV) says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Growth begins when we trust God's direction more than our own understanding.

What makes this account even more encouraging is that the healing happened in stages. After Jesus first touched the man, Mark records his response: “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” His sight had improved, but it was not yet clear. Many believers know exactly what that feels like. You begin following Christ and things start changing. You begin seeing areas of your life differently. Certain desires lose their grip. Old patterns become more visible. Yet at the same time, you recognise there is still work to be done.

This is often where frustration can set in. We want complete transformation immediately, but God is usually more interested in deep transformation than quick transformation. Spiritual growth is rarely instant. It is a process through which God patiently shapes His people into the likeness of Christ. He works on the heart, renews the mind, develops character, and teaches dependence upon Him over time.

The encouraging truth is that God never abandons the work He begins. PHILIPPIANS 1:6 (ESV) reminds us, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” The same Jesus who touched the blind man a second time is the same Jesus who continues working in the lives of His people today. He is not discouraged by the process, and neither should we be.

After the man's sight was fully restored, Jesus instructed him not to return to the village. That detail carries an important lesson. When God brings freedom, healing, and transformation into our lives, we cannot keep returning to the very things that once kept us blind. For some people that may be destructive habits. For others it may be unhealthy relationships, wrong priorities, damaging influences, or patterns of thinking that continually pull them away from God. Growth requires moving forward. The blind man could not remain where he had been and continue into what God had for him, and the same is true for us.

The reason Jesus leads His people forward is not because He wants to take something from them. It is because He wants something better for them. At the centre of every miracle, every correction, every invitation, and every act of transformation is the love of God. JOHN 3:16 (ESV) declares, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” The hand that led the blind man out of the village was motivated by love, and the hand that leads believers today is motivated by that same love.

If growth feels slow, do not lose heart. If the process feels uncomfortable, do not give up. If you cannot yet see the full picture, keep trusting Christ. The God who begins the work is faithful to complete it, and every step taken with Him is a step toward greater clarity, greater maturity, and a deeper relationship with the One who is leading you.