I had Coffee with God the other Day. His Name was Chris.

I had coffee with God the other day. His name was Chris. Chris is a fellow believer in Christ and for some reason that evening, I realized that because he carries Christ inside of him that I was literally sitting in the presence of God. Low and behold, we had a great evening.

Seriously, think about it. If those of us who trust God’s heart (to rescue us through the cross) really do have the God of the universe living inside of us, then isn’t it true that every time I meet with someone for coffee, for example, like my friend Chris the other night, that I am literally sitting next to God and having a conversation with Him? Now, let’s not get all uptight with the language I’m using here. I don’t mean that my friend Chris “is” God, but rather that God, through Christ, lives inside of him. His new name is Christ-in-Chris. My new name is Christ-in-Steven. This means that Christ lives inside of me (and also anyone else who cares to call Him the God of the universe). Take this to its logical conclusion and we have to admit that in a certain sense, anyone who comes into contact with me or Chris or any other believer is literally standing in the presence of God. We simply put a face to His presence.

Of course, God is omnipresent. This means that he is everywhere all at one time or at least He is able to be everywhere all at one time, or something like this. I don’t really know how it works. But, in addition to that, for some reason we also must acknowledge that there is a special way in which He is reconciling the world to Himself through those of us who carry Him in us as believers. Those who stand in our presence, therefore, stand in the presence of God in a particular and a unique way. They stand in the presence of Christ-in-Steven or Christ-in-Chris.

This is completely and unequivocally lacking pride in any way. When I think about the fact that anyone around me stands in the presence of Christ-inside-of-me, it actually creates a separation between me and God and this gives Him total credit for any positive influence I bring to the other person. This profound influence I have on others is based on Him. Yet, it must also be said that my understanding that God lives inside of me and is influencing those around me also brings a profound sense of affirmation that the God of the universe is pleased to dwell within me. He has no reservations for doing so. He is pleased with me as I trust Him to live His life through me and proud of the influence I have on those around me. In this sense, I feel a stronger connection to God, despite the increased understanding of His separateness, as well. Tricky, isn't it?

Therefore, let us remember that we carry Christ everywhere we go and that even on our worst day, those around us stand in His presence in a unique way. God chooses to put on our face in reaching out to those around us.
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Some of these ideas from the next to last paragraph are lightly taken from a sermon last weekend, but the main idea of this blog entry is something I've stumbled upon over the past couple weeks in reflecting on my meetings with other believers.