beyond what we see...

Here’s a question, does God do stuff in people, that we can’t see?

Let me re-phrase the question in an example... If someone isn’t raising their hands in worship at a service, or if they aren’t praying out loud, or staring at the ceiling with desire, does it mean they aren’t meeting God?

As imperfect people, I think we tend to label groups of people. (even though we say we don’t). An easy place to label ‘christians and non-christians’ is in a time of musical worship. You know, when the worship leader pulls out the acoustic guitar and strums the classic ‘How Great is our God’ for 7 minutes... Two common groups our minds want scope the room for during this typical scenario are 1. those who are visibly worshipping and 2. those who aren’t, and and are therefore not meeting with God. As wrong as it seems, I believe a lot of us (including myself) judge people from what we see, and decided that God is working in some hearts and not others. Ok, so maybe its just me? If so then, well, sorry, this my blog, and I am talking about me here... Another place where we use categories is when watching people’s lifestyles. “ooh that person can’t get rid of their anger issues”. or “ah that girl hasn’t given up her partying, smoking and drinking. She’s obviously not very close to God”.

This state of mind was changed for me this week, when I got to speak to some youth kids who I subconsciously labeled as ‘kids who are at youth for the wrong reasons’. You know, the ‘cool kids’ from their different schools. The jocks, the pretty girls. (come on, we all understand grade 8 school cliques right?) Anyways, I’ve never seen them raise their hands in worship. They sing along when its a really easy or well-known song, and maybe clap their hands for the first song. I see their blank faces from the stage and SO BADLY want to see them close their eyes and sing... Some of them lead ‘questionable lifestyles’ -(see how easy it is to catagorize??) So anyway, I decide asked them what they had learnt in 2010 at youth. Their responses blew me away! They’ve encountered God this year! And they are so stoked about it!

Despite what I saw of them, they have met God! what? How is that possible? I haven’t seen much change in the way they live or the way they worship? ...I continued the conversation and learnt that they actually love worship! Fancy that?! I also found out that a lot of what they have learnt and felt about God was from the leadership and the older youth around them. One guy told me that at youth he’s learnt how to respect woman, enough to not look at ‘dirty images’ on his cellphone. That isn’t in any of the lyrics in our worship songs- Nor was it preached. It was passed from those leaders around him.

I think we put God in a box. I put God in a box. A seriously small box! Without us even knowing, and without any of the ‘meeting God’ moments, God used us to plant small seeds of transformation in peoples hearts. God is doing stuff, and using us in all situations, even when we don’t see it.

Don’t be discouraged if your friend, sibling, parent or colleague isn’t suddenly changing their lifestyle, listening to Hillsong every day and falling on their knees in church, because the Holy Spirit could be (and is) moving in their hearts beyond what we see, and possibly, without them knowing it either! All we can do is keep in prayer, and offer to be there as a positive influence and support. It may be weeks, months or years before we physically SEE change in them, but don’t doubt the work that God is doing in their heart.

You see, when we do this, and believe that God can be working in someones heart, we immediately get rid of our judgement, and God starts to show us what really matters!