Where is God at work?

What a powerful question. It raises eyebrows, begins the internal scan around the soul or the quick survey around the ministry. It can be a great reflective question to sit with and ask Him to reveal it to you. It even formed the basis of a book called Encountering God.

The goal of the question is to see where He is at work around you, celebrate that in delight, and possibly join Him in partnership. The beauty of it is that it’s a creative and flexible approach to evaluating oneself, because like beauty, it’s in the eye of the beholder. Nobody may see what you see, and could level the same kind of conclusion you make. But you see it, and you rejoice.

Sometimes, He’s moving mountains and shaking foundations, like Elijah at Mt Carmel or Samson in the great temple at Dagon. Big stuff: earth-shaking, highly visible, public and life-defining for many.

But other times, He’s the gentle whisper in the wind, speaking tenderly and quietly through the moments. Nobody else notices or gives pause. But you do.

There are so many areas in our lives for God to move in, that any time He makes a move, we’re glad and appreciative. Like an old eighteenth century farmhouse badly in need of repairs, our hearts and souls crave the continual work of the Spirit in molding and making us more like Jesus Christ. And not only for us – we love hearing Him at work in others, and celebrate vicariously with them.

I greatly enjoyed hearing someone recently tell me where they saw God at work around them. They shared how as this person was praying, he had the strong sense that God was especially listening to him while he poured out his heart to Him at that moment. He’s never experienced that before. It was a highlight of his week. I was overjoyed to hear that.

I did some reflection last night, and here are a few noteworthy moments that were special for me.

• During a recent spiritual direction session last week, I had a great moment with a directee as we discussed God’s great love for us. I sensed the Spirit was using this to speak deeply to them in very intimate ways. It was a powerful and rewarding time for me.

• On Monday night, as I taught at Conversations, God was at work in us in the room as we reckoned with the state of our desires, and had some profound moments with that. It was rewarding to see God use me in that way.

• On Wednesday night, as I successfully said ‘no’ a couple of times to my daughter’s delicious chocolate brownies because I am forgoing desserts late at night. The Holy Spirit helped me say no, because there’s no way on God’s great earth I could say no to her brownies on a normal night. God was giving me a strength of will that was surrendered to Him.

Where is God at work in you? Where might He be at work in your group? What do you see in people now that you might not have a few months ago? Where is Jesus peeking through the cracks in their life?

Just remember - It's not always in the places or moments or ways we're expecting. In fact, I've said before that:

“People miss opportunities to see God do amazing things because it comes dressed in awkwardness and looks like a crisis, resistance or insecurity.”

Don't be afraid to look. And be a man or woman of courage and bravery once you do. I want to encourage you to ask God to reveal His Work to you. He will if you ask.

May your heart be overjoyed by the realization that He’s been at work in some very key, very powerful ways in your life and the loved ones around you and in your group.