Discerning Whether You Are Seeing a Problem in the Church and the Truth to Rest In

A Biblical Exploration Through the Beloved Lens

One of the most painful experiences in church life is when a believer raises a concern and receives a response that goes along the following lines:

"Nobody else sees this."

"Nobody else has a problem."

"Perhaps the issue is you."

That response can create profound self-doubt because the believer is left wondering:

• Am I discerning correctly?

• Am I being too sensitive?

• Am I rebellious?

• Am I hearing Christ at all?

The difficulty is that Scripture contains numerous examples where an individual or small minority correctly identified a problem that leadership or the larger community could not yet see.

The purpose is not to encourage suspicion toward leaders. Scripture calls us to honor and pray for leaders. Yet Scripture also demonstrates that leaders are human and can possess blind spots.

Using the Beloved Lens, let us examine what this looks like.

Background

Throughout Scripture, God frequently raises voices from within His people to identify problems that those in authority cannot see.

Often the issue was not deliberate evil.

More commonly, it was:

• tradition

• fear

• self-protection

• pride

• groupthink

• institutional preservation

In many cases, the people closest to the problem were the last to recognise it.

Example 1: Jeremiah and the Religious Leaders

The Situation

Jeremiah consistently warned that Judah was spiritually sick.

The leaders disagreed.

Scripture

"They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. 'Peace, peace,' they say, when there is no peace."

— Jeremiah 6:14

From Jeremiah's perspective there was a serious problem.

From the leadership perspective everything was manageable.

The Blind Spot

The leaders evaluated the situation through stability.

Jeremiah evaluated it through truth.

The majority believed Jeremiah was the problem.

History proved otherwise.

Fruit

The leadership's blind spot produced:

• false peace

• denial

• resistance to correction

• eventual destruction

Example 2: Micaiah vs 400 Prophets

The Situation

King Ahab sought prophetic counsel.

Four hundred prophets agreed with what the king wanted to hear.

One prophet disagreed.

Scripture

"Micaiah answered, 'As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what the Lord tells me.'"

— 1 Kings 22:14

The Blind Spot

Everyone agreed.

Consensus existed.

Unity existed.

The problem was that truth was absent.

Fruit

The majority voice appeared safe.

The minority voice was correct.

The lesson is simple:

Agreement is not proof of truth.

Example 3: The Man Born Blind

The Situation

Jesus healed a man blind from birth.

The religious system was unable to process what had occurred.

Scripture

"And they cast him out."

— John 9:34

The Blind Spot

The healed man had experienced Christ.

The leaders were more committed to protecting their framework than examining the evidence.

Fruit

Instead of curiosity:

• investigation became interrogation

• truth became threatening

• exclusion replaced dialogue

A closed system often treats uncomfortable testimony as a problem to solve rather than a truth to explore.

Example 4: Nicodemus Speaks Up

Not everyone within a troubled system is blind.

Scripture

"Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?"

— John 7:51

Nicodemus was questioning process.

Notice he was not even defending Jesus.

He was asking for fairness.

The response?

"Are you from Galilee, too?"

— John 7:52

Instead of examining the concern, people questioned the person.

This is a common feature of unhealthy systems.

The focus shifts from:

"Is the concern valid?"

to

"What is wrong with the person raising it?"

Example 5: Jesus and the Pharisees

Perhaps the greatest biblical example of leadership blind spots.

Scripture

"You blind guides."

— Matthew 23:24

These leaders:

• knew Scripture

• loved Scripture

• taught Scripture

Yet Jesus repeatedly identified blindness.

Why?

Because they could not see what their system was producing.

Fruit

Jesus listed the fruit:

• burdening people (Matt 23:4)

• neglecting justice (Matt 23:23)

• neglecting mercy (Matt 23:23)

• neglecting faithfulness (Matt 23:23)

Notice what Jesus examined.

Not theology.

Not attendance.

Not influence.

Fruit.

Example 6: Elijah

The Situation

Elijah stood almost alone.

Scripture

"I am the only one left."

— 1 Kings 19:10

Elijah's perception wasn't perfect.

God revealed there were others.

Yet Elijah correctly discerned a serious spiritual problem.

The Lesson

Being isolated does not automatically mean being mistaken.

Likewise, feeling alone does not automatically mean being correct.

Discernment requires humility and examination.

But isolation itself is not evidence that someone is wrong.

View Through Christ

How did Jesus respond when someone brought a concern?

Jesus demonstrated remarkable curiosity.

Instead of silencing people, He often asked questions.

Blind Bartimaeus

"What do you want me to do for you?"

— Mark 10:51

The Samaritan Woman

Jesus engaged in conversation.

Thomas

Jesus welcomed examination.

"Put your finger here."

— John 20:27

Truth never feared investigation.

Christ never seemed threatened by questions.

Healthy leadership reflects that same confidence.

Evaluating the Fruit

Jesus provides the primary diagnostic.

Matthew 7:16

"By their fruit you will recognise them."

Not:

• by their certainty

• by their size

• by their popularity

But by fruit.

Fruit of a Leadership Blind Spot

When a leadership blind spot is operating, people often experience:

• self-doubt

• confusion

• lack of resolution

• avoidance of difficult conversations

• being labelled rather than heard

• premature conclusions

• pressure to move on

• loss of confidence in their discernment

Fruit of Healthy Leadership

Healthy leadership produces:

• listening

• curiosity

• transparency

• accountability

• humility

• reconciliation efforts

• clear communication

• safety for honest dialogue

Direction: What Should the Believer Do?

The Beloved Lens directs attention back to Christ.

The question becomes:

What is Christ revealing about Himself here?

One of the dangers of damaging church experiences is that believers begin to trust leadership's interpretation more than Christ's ongoing presence.

Yet Jesus said:

"My sheep hear my voice."

— John 10:27

That does not mean every perception is correct.

It does mean believers need not live in perpetual self-distrust.

Biblical maturity is neither:

"I must be right."

nor

"I must be wrong."

Biblical maturity says:

"I will remain humble, examine myself honestly, listen carefully, welcome correction, and trust that Christ is able to lead me into truth."

Final Beloved Lens Conclusion

A leadership blind spot becomes spiritually damaging when leadership assumes:

"Because we cannot see the problem, the problem does not exist."

Scripture repeatedly demonstrates that faithful people sometimes perceived issues long before leaders recognised them.

Jeremiah. Micaiah. The man born blind. Nicodemus. Elijah. Even Jesus Himself.

The biblical test is not whether one person or many people see the issue.

The biblical test is the fruit being produced.

If the fruit is confusion, unresolved wounds, avoidance of truth, lack of reconciliation, and increasing self-doubt among sincere believers, those outcomes deserve careful examination.

A Christ-centered community does not fear examination because truth belongs to Christ.

As Paul instructed:

"Test everything. Hold fast what is good."

— 1 Thessalonians 5:21

That instruction applies not only to individuals, but to leaders, churches, and systems as well.