Mar. 2, 2016

Awareness

Have you ever attempted to describe something to someone who has never seen what it is you are trying to describe? Try as you might they just don't seem to get the picture. Even with all your enthusiasm and excitement complete with your most descriptive words something seems to get lost in the translation. Often they look at you with their sense of anticipation of what you are describing. Perhaps you are thinking that whatever you have seen that you are so excited about sharing with them they should have gotten it on your first attempt. Then is seems that your frustration begins to build and, well, everything goes downhill from there!

Several years ago I served as a minister of music and youth in a congregation in Augusta, Georgia. As I reflect on this time in my life an important truth came to me regarding my relationship to God. The truth had to do with relating to God because I had to as opposed to relating to God because I wanted to. I hadn't really thought much about it before but once it started to come to light a new awareness began to sprout in my understanding. I remember thinking a lot about the differences between doing something out of a sense of obligation and doing something because I discovered within the doing an inspiration that was beyond me. 

I will never forget the day I was meeting with a bunch of young people at the church. We were discussing various events and happenings in our lives when all of a sudden the idea that had not too long before became such an inspiration to me I began to share with them. I indicated that service to God should never be something we do because we have to do it. Rather, it should be something we do because we want to do it. That takes it out of the realm of service and puts it into living! 

What occurred next I was not anticipating. There was a young man seated in the group that was present because he was visiting his relatives for the summer. As I shared this personal inspiration with the group I happened to be looking in his direction. All of a sudden I noticed a look of awareness that came to his face and particularly his eyes. His whole demeanor changed as well as his body language. What I believe I witnessed within this young man was his awakening of the Spirit's presence within him. I didn't have to try and convince him of my inspiration. He was able to see what he needed to see by the Spirit.

Awareness is just that. When we are brought to a place within ourselves to come face to face with God in Jesus Christ we begin to see our true selves. We begin to see ourselves the way God has always seen and known us. You may have become frustrated with trying to describe light to someone who has never seen it but once the Spirit of God reveals His Light the awareness is unmistakable! Maybe that's what the Poet was saying as recorded in Psalms 17:15. "As for me, I will continue beholding Your face in righteousness; I shall be fully satisfied, when I awake beholding Your form.