Hard to See

 

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:1-6 ESV).

 

Squinting is an instinctive reaction by your eyes to bright light, by trying to reduce the amount of light suddenly entering the eye. However, if you find yourself squinting in order to see objects clearly, then it may be a sign of a refractive error, or perhaps a symptom of presbyopia if you are over forty. Following God often means squinting to find him. But learning to squint involves being willing to squint, and sometimes that can be the hardest part. After all, our natural position is not to look for God at all.

 

What we want is a co-dependent God. The term co-dependent is used to describe someone who takes responsibility for things that someone else should really do on their own. Sometimes people instinctively seek out others who are willing to help them hide their dysfunctions: to cover their drinking or pay their credit card bills or soothe the hurt feelings in the wake of their temper tantrums. At one level, it makes sense: who needs to grow up when friends will cover your immaturity?

 

It may sound good to have a co-dependent God. At first thought it sounds wonderful to have someone who will jump in and see my way forward. After all, it’s hard to see my way in the fog. It would be nice just to be able to throw up my hands when the doubts or frustrations start to build. However, that always ends in destruction. In freeway fog, drivers who quit squinting will inevitably crash. The same is true of our search for God.

 

Our reading today reminds us that God “rewards those who earnestly seek him.” If I am to grow in my experience of God, I need to be willing to simply persevere, to keep taking each step forward. While all of God is often difficult to see, we only need to see today’s God for our life.