Seeing God: Galatians 5:16-18
How would this world be different if we trained ourselves to see God every time we saw something good happen? What if I praised God every time I saw someone share? What if I praised God every time I saw someone respond in gentles or kindness? What if I praised God every time I saw an act of generosity?
Paul encourages the Galatians to live by the Spirit. He also tells the Galatians that the desires of the flesh and the desires of the Spirit oppose one another. This idea is worth exploring for a bit.
In the Gospels, there is a neat story about a rich young ruler who runs up to Jesus and calls Jesus “Good Teacher.” Jesus stops the man and asks him why he calls Jesus good. Jesus then tells the man that nobody is good except the Father.
That story is haunting, because Jesus is literally chastening the man because he calls Jesus good. Here in Galatians, Paul tells us that the desires of the Spirit and the desires of the flesh are in opposition to one another. I think Paul is getting at precisely the same thing that Jesus is getting at. If something is good, then it is from the Father. If someone desires to do something good, then it must be the Spirit at work. If it was the flesh, then the good thing would be in opposition to the Spirit and that would imply the Spirit desires something not good. We know that is false. Therefore, every good act must be evidence of the Spirit.
I often hear how people wish God was as visible as He was in the days of Jesus or the prophets. Perhaps we don’t see God because we have blinded ourselves to one of the main ways He shows Himself.
Ever see someone do something kind? How convinced are you that it was the person who did it? After all, the desires of the flesh are opposed to the desires of the Spirit. If someone does something kind, isn’t it more likely that it is the Spirit at work in the person?
Ever see someone display love? Isn’t this also something good, and therefore evidence of God? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not diminishing someone’s obedience to God. All I am saying is that every act of love, kindness, generosity, community, and joy are evidence of God. We see far more evidence of God than we think.
This truth is more impressively at work in people who outright deny relationship with God. I witness people who are in direct opposition to God do good. The Spirit is still at work in them, even if they deny relationship with Him. God is so powerful His Spirit can do good even in people who deny Him.
This leads me to ask. How would this world be different if we trained ourselves to see God every time we saw something good happen?
