Make Sure You Are Actually Experiencing God 

My wife and I were sitting in a park watching a Fourth of July fireworks display. As the night sky began to light up with the beautiful illuminations, I found myself momentarily distracted by a small group of pre-teen girls standing a short distance away. What first annoyingly caught my eye was the bright light from their phones. Then I noticed that they weren’t actually watching the fireworks. They were busy posing for pictures with the light display behind them. They had their backs turned to the main event as they took selfies or as their companions snapped their photos. And it turned out not to be a momentary, quick photo session. It seemed to go on for quite some time. As I tried to keep my own attention focused on the wonderful fireworks, it struck me how these individuals were so intent on documenting their presence there that they were missing the actual show.

 Let’s be careful not to be guilty of similar actions when it comes to our encounters with the Lord in our lives. Let’s not get so caught up in just “showing up” or in the appearance of being in the Lord’s presence that we miss out on actually experiencing Him. There is something to be said in favor of just being there, whether it is at a worship service, in a personal prayer time, or opening up our Bibles to read. We need to be present in order to give ourselves an opportunity to be touched by the Lord. However, are we simply putting in our time, fulfilling what is expected of us, putting in an appearance in order to impress others or to try to impress God, or are we actually encountering the Lord in those moments? Are we meeting Him, contemplating His glory, listening for His voice, and fellowshipping with Him? Are we simply in the vicinity of the spiritual fireworks of God’s glory and power, or are we experiencing it for ourselves?

If selfies and photo ops had been available in Jesus’ day, there were some religious leaders who probably would have been experts at its use. Those Pharisees would have been taking selfies to document their pious activities, letting others see how godly they were. They would have posted their location every time they were at the temple or synagogue. They would have taken a selfie whenever they gave an offering or did a good deed. They would have made sure someone was getting it on video as they were praying their long prayers or as they were reciting the scriptures. They would have loved social media. Nevertheless, in the midst of all their appearance of godliness, they were missing out on the actual experience. When the Son of God Himself showed up, they could have “beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). But instead, they turned their backs on Him. “He came to His own and His own did not receive Him” (John 1:11). They were so busy with their appearance of being close to God that they missed the fireworks when He actually showed up.

It is good to be active in religious activities and busy in church work. However, let’s not allow those things to become a substitute for actually encountering the Lord and experiencing Him working in our lives. Let’s not fall into the modern prevalent trap of focusing more on appearances rather than on the experience itself. Go to church, but be sure you meet God there. Pray, but really talk to and listen to the Lord. Read your Bible, but hear what God wants to say to you and learn about His will for you. Experience God yourself.