When I first started getting discipled my sophomore year at Penn State, my bible study leader said something that gave me a whole knew perspective on the way I see just about everything. He told me to put on “God goggles.” He challenged me to look at things the way God sees them – to see every creature, every situation, every person as an image of God. This may seem simple, but it really impacted me. I mean, how can you look at a person recognizing that they are created and loved by the Lord of the Universe and not love them?! God really opened the eyes of my heart.
Fast-forward a few years to month two of the World Race in Costa Rica. We did ministry with the Christian Light Foundation, and that meant we had the privilege of spending several mornings engaging in teachings and discussions with Mark, one of our hosts. All of his devotionals were fantastic, but one in particular kind of rocked my world. He talked about witnessing and recognizing the majesty of God. My first thought was, “Oh yeah we’ve seem some pretty incredible things: beautiful views of God’s creation, amazing worship, even some healings…” But that’s not just what he was talking about. He took this idea of God goggles a step further. Mark made us realize that God’s majesty is exactly like God Himself: literally everywhere, all the time!
“For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.” – 1 Peter 1:16
This brought me back to the idea of putting on these God goggles that I had seemingly forgotten about. I was so focused on battling the darkness hovering over this incredibly dangerous slum in the middle of Costa Rica, and I was missing His majesty happening before my very eyes. I had regressed back to this idea that God’s majesty only came in the form of “big” exciting things like healings and corporate worship and shooting stars and all that jazz, when really, it’s everywhere. God is everywhere, and He is at work.
His majesty is just as much in the very laughter of a child who gets a chance to escape her impoverished, abusive reality as it is in the divine healing of one of my squadmates, Keri. His majesty is just as much in the delicious homemade pizza we made for our squad as it is in the opportunity we had to offer it to a few teens who have never had it before. His majesty is just as much in the very life and smile of Rosa, the sweet woman who cooks and takes care of the feeding center and the Finca every day, as it is in her incredible servant spirit.
His majesty is in the testimony of Joseph, a 12 year old boy who shared how he started being a discipleship leader at the age of 11, and even though his best friend was killed, and even though sometimes his mom struggles to put food on the table, all he wants for his birthday (and wants it so badly that he cries when talking about it) is a passport to travel to other countries as a missionary, because he refuses to go any direction except forward. His majesty is in the Holy Spirit prompting my teammate Sydney to take advantage of the opportunity our squad had to buy Joseph a passport!
His majesty is in the opportunity to pray for the 5th and 6th grade boys at our school and in the moment we saw the “cool kid” of the class stand up and lay hands on our teammate Craig. His majesty is in the view of the gym filled with iSquad’s tents, sleeping bags, hammocks, and laundry. His majesty is in sharing meals with 38 different brothers and sisters in Christ each day last month. His majesty is in the chance to help both our school’s English teacher, Luis, and our favorite McDonald’s employee, Angelo, perfect their English! His majesty is in the relationship I was able to form with my new 12-year-old best friend and “son,” Richard, and the opportunity God has given me to disciple him in the future.
His majesty is in dozens of piggyback rides for the niños at the daycare. His majesty is in children worshipping. His majesty is in us worshipping. His majesty is in the simple beauty of a smile. His majesty is in every prayer of every day.
Are you getting it? This blog could literally go on forever, because His majesty is EVERYWHERE and He never stops revealing Himself before our very eyes!
We just have to open them.
My challenge for you is this: Look for the majesty of God everywhere you go every day. Find it at home, find it at work, find it in the grocery store, find it on the street…find it everywhere! Start your morning by asking God to open up your eyes to His majesty, and end your day by thanking Him for allowing you to witness and recognize His very presence in so many different ways that day. My prayer is that you’ll start to realize just how beautiful and powerful and alive our creator really is. Bask in that. Embrace the magnificent opportunity He gives you each day to pursue Him and experience Him. And share the incredible joy and love He instills in you with everyone you encounter. It’ll be hard not to.
