The God We See in the Rear-view Mirror
Why is it we tend to only talk about the God we see in the rear-view mirror? It’s easy to share stories of His presence after cresting a hill or making it through the latest crisis. I don’t know about you, but I’ve come to realize I tend to acknowledge what victories are behind me, not the struggles God’s working with me in the present.
In the past is when I can see the fruits because of my relationship with Christ. Answered prayer. That’s when I see how my faith in God has sustained me.
See what I mean–rear-view mirror view of God.
Pathetic, just pathetic.
What I want is confidence in the God of today. His constant presence. Instead, it’s my pain, fear, and sometimes lack of faith I tend to focus on. I am a broken person. I need to seek God’s face.
Lean in
Lean in and I’ll whisper a secret fear to you. When I stand in the here and now, will God think I’m crazy and selfish if I ask him to answer the prayer of my heart? I can’t tell others about my prayers to God because what would they think of me if the prayers don’t get answered? What will they think of God? How can I have such a self-serving heart? Am I asking for my glory instead of His?
Then it came to me: It’s not the size of the ask, it’s the condition of my heart that asks.
It’s just that simple: I need to check on the condition of my heart when I go to God and not wait until the blessing is behind me. Most of the blessing is found in the process. Only a small portion is realized when the blessing is seen.
I need to remember that God is awesome and present—always! I need to remember that it’s me and my self-run focus that gets in the way of receiving God’s blessings. I need to remember that my vision of God needs to be as clear in the present as it is in my rearview mirror.
Just as in Mark 9:24, I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!
What say you?
What do you wonder about? Are you happy … or are you doing what you never thought you’d do? Do you see consistencies … or are you all over the place? Drop me a line. I’d love to chat.
Struggling to find good in your life? Check out my award-winning book, God’s Best During Your Worst, or check out any of my other books on my Book page.