Physical blindness is debilitating, but God-blindness is far more dangerous. The former is easily recognizable; the latter is inconspicuous. As youth ministers, we combat philosophical atheism, the belief that there is no god, by presenting evidence for God’s existence. Yet could it be that, as we strive to prove God’s existence with our arguments, we inadvertently demonstrate his non-existence through our actions?
We confess that we believe in Jesus, yet our lives conform to this world, as if he does not exist. We sing a praise song on our way to work, but partake in gossip about parents in our youth ministry. Or we teach the Bible to our students each week and emphasize the importance of reading God’s Word, but often fail to read the Bible for personal growth, using the Word for sermon preparation instead of our own heart transformation. As we go to bed, we offer a quick prayer, yet we dedicate hours to watching sports, movies, and TV shows throughout the week. Functional atheism prevents us from witnessing God’s glory in creation and leads us to worship the creature rather than the Creator (Rom. 1:25). We settle for mud pies when we could enjoy filet mignon.
Thankfully, God graciously provides a remedy for the God-blindness with which we struggle. This means of grace is simple and even mundane: gathering for Sunday morning worship can supply the salve for our eyes to cure us from our God-blindness and functional atheism. The body of Christ offers three ways to heal our God-blindness.
First, gathering as the church reminds us of our redemption in Christ.
Seeing brothers and sisters in Christ each week reminds us of the powerful grace of God that has transformed our lives. When we open the Scriptures together and sing praises to our King, we see our wretchedness and consider God’s holiness. We recognize our desperate need for a deliverer. This, in turn, shows us God’s excellence and magnifies his mercy to save and redeem sinners like us through the death of his Son. As youth ministers, we need these reminders each week. We can easily find ourselves caught up in teaching and training our students, while neglect the health of our own souls. Worshipping with our church family each week reminds us that we are not “professionals,” but redeemed sinners who need the gospel just as much as the lay church member sitting next to us.
Worshipping with other believers also reminds us that we are not alone in our fight and struggles against God-blindness. We see our friend John, formerly addicted to pornography, but now walking in purity and freedom. We see our friend Sarah, who once frequently succumbed to gossip and envy but now uses her words to love and uplift others. Worshipping with redeemed sinners further magnifies the power and glory of God’s grace, reminding us that God has not given up on us. His grace is sufficient to save us from our self-centered desires.
Second, gathering as the church reminds us of our reconciliation in Christ.
The ordinance of the Lord’s Supper reminds us that we no longer experience separation from Christ. Taking Communion with our Savior and our church family helps us recall how we, who were once Christ’s enemies, have now been reconciled by his blood. As redeemed sinners, we can have fellowship with God through our great high priest. The veil has been torn, and our sin no longer separates us from fellowship with God. Remembering our reconciliation through the bread and the cup helps us remember that Jesus is with us in every situation. We now have eyes to see his majesty even in the mundane, everyday moments of our lives.
The Lord’s Supper also allows us to experience reconcilliation with others. Communion pierces through our God-blindness, enabling us to see all people as made in God’s image. When we recognize that God has reconciled us to himself through Christ, we will no longer treat students as objects, or dwell in frustration when they pull that prank at camp or cause drama with others. If God has reconciled sinners like us to himself through Christ, then surely we can have patience with our students and seek to promote reconciliation with them and their peers. Participating in Jesus’ broken body compels us to sacrifice our bodies in humble service to God and his body in the local church.
Third, gathering as the church reminds us of our future restoration in Christ.
The ordinance of baptism provides us with a physical picture of the new life that the Spirit has created in each of us through faith in Jesus. Even though our outer self is passing away, our inner self is renewed and restored daily (2 Cor. 4:16). Witnessing a brother or sister in Christ’s baptism reminds us of the new life that Christ has given us and serves as a picture of the complete restoration we will all experience at the resurrection during Christ’s second coming.
We will continue to struggle with sin and fight against the God-blindness that often clouds our vision. But the visible sign of baptism assures us that God will bring complete restoration. The newness of life we now experience will be fully realized in our glorified bodies. God will remove our sin, and wholly sanctify us. Let this be a reminder for us when we are discipling teenagers. When we are frustrated because they don’t listen to our advice, make another mistake, fall into temptation again, or lack spiritual disciplines, baptism is a reminder that God is not finished with them yet. He who began a good work in them will bring it to completion on the day of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:6). Therefore, trust the process of sanctification by the Spirit, be patient, and know perfection will come, but not until Christ returns.
Let Sundays remind you of the gospel.
Our weekly participation in the gathering of the local church represents a vital component of our spiritual lives, but we should not limit gathering to Sunday. Instead, there are three ways Sundays should carry us through the week as we fight against God-blindness. First, Sunday mornings are a launching pad to propel us through the week as we renew our minds by the Spirit through the Scriptures daily. Second, Sunday mornings are a springboard, encouraging us to reach out to our small group members throughout the week for fellowship, encouragement, and prayer. Lastly, weekly worship should be the fuel that drives our ministry and passion for students throughout the week. When we allow the Sunday gathering to remind us of our redemption, reconciliation, and restoration in Christ, our gas tank will be full rather than empty. Then we will have the grace to serve faithfully.
God-blindness can be dangerous, but as we gather together each Sunday, God, in his grace, provides us with gospel glasses to see and savor our Savior as we worship him with the saints.
In need of biblical encouragement and fellowship with other youth ministers? Register for the Rooted Conference in Chicago, October 23–25, 2025.
1 Paul Tripp, Sunday Matters (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2024).
