‘God is always present, but not always apparent’

The Presbyterian preacher and writer M. Craig Barnes once wrote: “God is always present, but not always apparent.”

I think part of our job is to change that—to help others see God’s work in the world.

St. Paul touches on a similar idea today in his letter to the Philippians, declaring, “Christ will be magnified in my body.” A magnifying glass enlarges what is small, making it clear. Paul wanted to bring that kind of clarity, the clarity of Christ, to others. And he exhorted his readers, the people of Philippi, to do likewise: “Conduct yourselves in a way worthy of the Gospel of Christ.”

That is one tall order. And it challenges us to ask ourselves: is it an order I can carry out?

Do I live in a way “worthy of the Gospel of Christ”?

Do others see reflected in my life and my choices the teachings of Christ?

Do I magnify the Lord? Do I enlarge him, proclaiming him in a way that is clear and unmistakable, with tenderness and mercy and generosity and hope? Or do I keep him inscrutable, illegible, small?

Part of our call is to serve as magnifying glasses for the Gospel.

We need to remember that God is always present—but strive to live in a way that also makes God apparent.

Originally published in Give Us This Day, September 24, 2017. Learn more about this monthly devotional here.