Experiencing miracles
10:48 theology 0 Comments

When we read the Bible, and see the miracles performed by Jesus, and his disciples, it is very tempting to want to experience miracles for ourselves. Since we rarely get too experience miracles on the scale of raising the dead, or feeding of thousands of people, we try and make miracles out of everyday events.

I don't wish to tread on toes here, but if the greatest miracle you ever get to experience is finding a parking spot after a quick prayer, then I fear that you have barely begun to scratch the surface of who God is.

Finding God in your everyday life is wonderful, and I believe crucial if you want to have a meaningful relationship with Him, but trying to elevate the mundane to the level of the miraculous is a recipe for a dull and empty experience of God. If, however, your life has been uneventful enough that finding a parking spot is considered a great miracle, then the greatest miracle is staring you right in the face. If you have been spared the difficulties and challenges that face the vast majority of the world's population, to such an extent that asking for a parking spot seems appropriate (and I am not saying it is not), then your entire life stands as a testimony to God's provision.

For many first world Christians, what I have said above is true. We have become so accustomed to our needs being met that we barely even realize how privileged we are. But all of this means that we are very unlikely to experience miracles of the order that we see in the Bible, or some of the the things you may read in this blog. Why? Well, let us look at what the Bible says:

2 Corinthians 12

9 But his answer was: “My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak.” I am most happy, then, to be proud of my weaknesses, in order to feel the protection of Christ's power over me. 10 I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

I am speaking from my own experiences here, so if you disagree, or if you have experienced differently, please do not view this as an attack.

In my experience, when I am safe and comfortable at home, then I feel far removed from God. If I am not painfully aware of my need for Him, I tend to forget that He even exists. I am not alone in this, the Israelites, after seeing miracle after miracle they turned their backs on God.

Most first world Christian families sit down every evening for supper, and thank God for the food they are about to eat. During the time I lived in Zimbabwe, we thanked God for the food, and prayed that there would be another meal tomorrow. Had He not provided, we would not have had anything to eat.

When Paul wrote the second letter to the Corinthians, he was speaking of "a thorn in his flesh", which is conveniently ambiguous. During my time in Zimbabwe, I meant the following to me: Whenever and wherever you do not have what it takes to deal with a situation, we have access to God's power.

Actually we have access at all times, but we tend to use our own strength first, and rely on God only as a last resort. Which is why Paul takes pride in his weaknesses, because he knew that they made him dependent on God, and therefore more likely to experience God's power.

So here is the long and the short of it, if you would like to experience miracles in your life ... get up!. God is constantly trying to use each and every one who calls themselves Christian. He wants to show you His power and His majesty, but if you ignore Him by making up excuses or pretending that He is not calling you, you will never see His majesty manifest. If you believe God is calling you to hand out sermon programs at church on Sunday, or that the sum total for His plan for your life is singing in the worship team and finding good parking spots, then I can guarantee that you are missing the point.

If you can think of nothing else to do, may I suggest this; stop reading, go outside, turn left, and keep going until you meet someone, anyone. Ask them how they are, and if there is anything you can do to make their life better (homeless people are easy targets). I am not talking about handing out food parcels to make yourself feel better, I am talking about taking a genuine interest in the people around you. I am talking about you starting to look at the world, and letting God show you how He loves people, and then you taking the challenge of showing His love to those people.

You will soon find yourself out of your depth, and that is where you can finally make room in your life to let God work his miracles. They may start out small in seemingly insignificant, but if you persevere, you will soon find that as the challenges grow, so do the miracles.