I Saw God Today
by Rob Genin
One of the most amazing things anyone can say is that they saw God. There are, of course, theological challenges with that statement, because God is spirit and does not have a body; and yet, we can see God every day. In fact, He wants us to see Him today. Let me explain.
Seeing God in Jesus
Philip, one of Jesus’ disciples, once asked Him:
“Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” (John 14:8–9, NIV)
Jesus is revealing something essential: to see Him is to see God. Jesus is the perfect image of the Father, “the exact representation of his being” (Hebrews 1:3, NIV). The disciples saw God in the person of Jesus.
Seeing God Today
So how can we see God today? Two ways.
First, we can see God by faith. Our eyes see visible things. Faith sees invisible things. Scripture puts it this way: “faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1, NIV) God is spirit, which means we do not see Him with our physical eyes. That does not mean we cannot see Him at all. We learn to look by faith.
Second, we see the images of God all around us. God made man in His own image (Genesis 1:26, NIV). When you look at another person, you are looking at someone who bears His image. As C.S. Lewis once said, “You have never met a mere mortal.” Though people have fallen into sin, their value remains. We must learn to see God’s image in the eyes of every person we meet.
How This Changes Our Meetings
One of the main ways this changes us is that we begin to grasp the weight of everyday interactions. None of them are truly “small.” All of them are personal. All of them carry eternal significance.
Jesus once said:
“I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink”…Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?” The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
(Matthew 25:35, 37, 40, NIV)
Work is busy. We often wear busyness like a badge of honor. We have obligations stacked on obligations. And yet when you watch Jesus, you see this: He carried the most important mission in history, and He still made time for the person in front of Him. We can learn that from Him.
So today when you have a full calendar, when you find yourself standing in a line, or when someone starts telling a story you’re not sure you have time for…slow down and listen. You will honor the person in front of you, made in God’s image. You will likely become more effective in your work and relationships. And you may find yourself seeing God.
Want Help?
If you’re looking for practical encouragement to live out your faith at work, come to YBL’s Fall Breakfast on September 11 and meet men who are learning to do the same through Scripture, prayer, and steady relationships. You can meet God in Birmingham!