Every Day God

I'm convinced (as Pearl Bailey is quoted as saying) that "People see God every day, they just don't recognize Him." I'm convinced of this because Jesus teaches His followers that when they love Him, it produces a life that goes after the things that are close to His heart and that He will manifest Himself to them (see John 14:21). At least that is my understanding of the verse. It is also my understanding of this relationship.

Far too many "believers" have regulated experiencing God to a religious service/event, a study, or some kind of experience that only happens when something "holy" is happening. What I mean by that is that we have kept God in a box labeled "Christian Experiences" rather than allowing Him to be a part of every day life. It's time for the church as a whole, and we as individual believers, to change this mindset. It's time for us to look for God to show up in any given situation, any given relationship, and at any moment.

Here's where I'm going...I just hope you can follow:
When my heart is set on going after God in my every day life then every day experiences will allow me to watch Him move, hear His voice, or learn something of His Spirit. I can be watching a movie, having a conversation around the coffee maker at work, or simply going through the motions of life in my home and all of a sudden the Lord is there. I hear Him speak. I see Him working in the heart of my wife. I witness Him doing a work in the life of my child. Or something is said that instantly sends a quickening to my spirit that brings joy, peace, love, or a sense of reverence. It is in those moments where it becomes abundantly clear that God doesn't need a set time during the week on a particular holy day to show up. He longs to manifest Himself within the lives of His children.

Then there may be days where my heart isn't as in tune as other days. It doesn't mean that God doesn't show up but it may mean that I miss it. I might miss the smile He sent my way. I might miss the laughter that He wanted me to be a part of. I might miss the opportunity to feel His embrace through someone else. The condition of my heart doesn't keep God from moving but it will keep me from experiencing it.

I want you to think this thought with me today. If Adam & Eve could encounter the manifest presence of God on a daily basis then why not you? Some may argue that sin is the issue but it is not a valid argument with God. When Adam & Eve fell in the Garden we don't see God keeping Himself away. No...we actually find them running from His presence. The issue wasn't sin (in particular) but the condition in their heart that was caused by sin. The GREAT NEWS about God is that He has taken care of the sin issue in His heart. Remember that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself - not counting their trespasses against them. AND since God has taken care of the sin issue then what will keep Him from showing up in our every day life?

Why is this important? It's important because so many people only look for God through religious activity. They never look for God on the street, in the grocery store, or in the mundane. Just like the religious leaders on the day of Jesus' birth did not go out to a stable to find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, we never expect God to show up in our secluded dirty places. But this is the Glorious Good News of the Gospel.

I encourage you to find where the Lord is working around you. Listen intently for His voice. Be sensitive to your surroundings. I believe that you will find Him much more at work than you expected. I also believe that you will discover a great secret: that God is at work in your every day life.

Enjoy the journey!!!