Matthew 9:17 (NKJV) Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
As believers, we need to renew our minds to align with the Word of God. Therefore, we should be open to changes in our lives and the way we think, and let go of our prejudices.
Some potential blind spots in our lives include unconscious biases and assumptions—deeply ingrained beliefs, prejudices, or ways of thinking we are unaware of, that distort our judgement and decision-making.
For example, some individuals believe they are always right, refuse to accept new ideas, and resist change. That’s what old wineskins refer to in the above Scripture. They are rigid, strict, and legalistic, not open to correction and blind to their faults. It’s either their way or no way.
One common issue among family business founders is their silent rejection of new ideas, even though they outwardly appear open to hiring new people to make changes and elevate the company. They cling to the business jealously because they single-handedly founded it and may even have publicly listed it. They believe that nobody knows the industry better than they do, nor will anyone be able to do a better job, including their successor, who might be a family member. Such situations can cause strain and unnecessary tension between the successor, senior staff, and the founder. We need to learn how to let go, delegate, and empower those we have chosen so they can thrive in the new phase of the business.
Distrust of the opposite sex, especially towards men, can be another type of ingrained belief and prejudice for women in particular. For example, they may have grown up witnessing the failures of marriages among people they know. They have a deep distrust of men because they have been told that none of them is good. This deep distrust hinders them from having a close and trusted marriage relationship, even though they have been blessed with a good husband.
Jesus said we will bear much fruit when we are pruned by Him. No pruning is pleasant, but it will lead to good fruit when the process is completed. Rebukes, corrections, and training can come through reading the Word or through the Holy Spirit’s prompting when we are about to make a decision. Furthermore, God will use people we trust to speak into our lives, revealing our blind spots so that we will produce fruit and be a blessing to others. Truly, obedience is better than sacrifice.
Sermon Series: Do You Have A Blind Spot in Your Life
除去旧皮袋
马太福音 9:17 也没有人把新酒装在旧皮袋里，若是这样，皮袋就裂开，酒漏出来，连皮袋也坏了。唯独把新酒装在新皮袋里，两样就都保全了。
作为信徒，我们需要更新心思意念，使之与神的话语对齐。因此，我们应当乐意接受生命中的改变，调整思维方式，并放下偏见。
我们生命中一些潜在的盲点，可能是无意识的偏见与假设——那些根深蒂固、我们未曾察觉的信念、成见或思维模式，它们会影响我们的判断与决策。
例如，有些人认为自己总是对的，不愿接受新的观点，也抗拒改变。这正是经文中“旧皮袋”所象征的。他们思想僵化、态度严苛、律法化，不肯受教，也看不见自己的问题——总觉得“要么照我的方式来，要么算了”。
在家庭企业中，这样的情况也很常见。企业创办人表面上看似欢迎新想法，愿意聘请新人推动改革，让公司更上一层楼，但内心深处却拒绝真正的改变。他们对事业充满占有欲，因为那是他们亲手建立、甚至亲自带上市的。他们相信没有人比自己更了解行业，也没有人能做得比自己更好——包括他们亲自指定的接班人。这种心态往往造成接班人、资深员工与创办人之间的张力与矛盾。我们需要学习放手、委派与授权，让所选择的人能在新的阶段中成长与发挥。
另一种深层的偏见，特别容易出现在女性身上——那就是对异性的信任缺失，尤其是对男性的怀疑。有些女性从小目睹身边婚姻的失败，听过许多“男人都不可靠”的言语，于是心中根深蒂固地不信任男性。即使她们蒙福，拥有一位敬虔、可信赖的丈夫，这种根深的防备仍然阻碍她们进入亲密、互信的婚姻关系。
耶稣说，当我们被祂修剪，就会结出许多果子。修剪的过程并不轻松，但当过程完成时，生命就会结出美好的果实。责备、纠正与操练，可能透过神的话语临到，也可能是在我们做决定时圣灵的提醒。此外，神也会使用我们信任的人，在爱中指出我们的盲点，使我们结出果子，成为他人的祝福。的确，顺服胜于献祭。
讲章系列：你生命中有盲点吗？