“Why Can’t I See God?”

Honestly, there are things in life that make us question God’s love for us. One question I’ve heard from at least two of my friends is, “Why can’t I see God?” When you love someone, you want to see the person, right? So, “Why can’t I see God?”

“Why can’t I see God?” You can’t see God because He refuses to give up on your friendship.

Adam and Eve, the first humans, saw God on a daily basis. They explored their garden paradise with Him, squished their toes in the muddy banks of sparkling creeks with Him, and stood under thundering waterfalls with Him. They could see, hear, and touch God because He created them to be in close friendship with Him, completely compatible with Him. The essence of that friendship was the same element that animates God—love.

Humans lost their ability to see God the day Adam and Eve decided against their love-based friendship with God, accepting instead the serpent’s philosophy of selfishness—love’s opposite. As representatives of the human race, this decision closed not only their eyes but the eyes of all humans to follow. As God stood by Eden’s gate, tears blinded His eyes as He watched the two blurry figures disappear from sight. Filled with sorrow and regret, they turned to catch one more glimpse of their perfect Friend, but they couldn’t see Him. The same flashbacks of peaceful walks by bubbling brooks, uncontrollable laughter, and scintillating discussions that filled their minds, filled His. But it appeared that He would be forced to give up the human friends He loved so much. They didn’t want that, and He didn’t want that, but His hands were tied by their choice.

“No,” He firmly decided. He would not give up on friendship with humans. He would do anything to restore it—absolutely anything, because nothing in the entire universe was more valuable to Him. But it wasn’t just His decision. It had to be theirs, too. If He restored it immediately, He would be blocking the freedom of humans to make their own decision. The friendship He so desperately missed was built around love, and He knew that love can’t breathe without freedom. An immediate, one-sided restoration wouldn’t be a restoration at all, but a plastic, meaningless farce. The only way to restore human beings to true, love-based friendship with Him would be to woo them back little by little. Sure, it would take a long time and there would be many heartaches along the way, but He just couldn’t give them up. He was determined that they would see Him again someday. Millennia later, this process is still going on. God is still wooing human beings, giving them complete freedom of choice in hopes of restoring their friendship with Him—your friendship with Him—and your ability to see Him.

“Why can’t I see God?” You can’t see God because He won’t settle for a cheap imitation friendship.

Let’s say you have a very close, lifetime friend who is accused of a terrible crime. You know she would never do anything like that, and through her tears she sniffles, “You believe me, don’t you?” And you reply, “Prove it!” Friendship over. She wants you to believe her because you know and trust her—not because you’ve seen some cold piece of evidence with your own eyes. God wants you to believe that He loves you and wants your friendship because you know and trust Him, not because you’ve seen Him with your own eyes. Requiring proof indicates a meaningless, plastic friendship.

If God went ahead and “proved” His love and desire for friendship with you by letting you see Him, your freedom of choice would disappear and He would be settling for a cheap, loveless imitation friendship. Facts lead to proof, not love. Freedom leads to love, not proof. And love is the core—the very life—of the friendship with you about which God is still daydreaming.

“Why can’t I see God?” Because He wants to enjoy your friendship now.

The children gathered at the front of the small Northern California church during afternoon activity time. The game was simple. They were to team up two by two, with one blindfolded. Whichever team’s blindfolded one made it to the other side of the church and back was the winner. As the game began, I began thinking. The game would be a lot easier without the blindfold. One kid could simply send the other one off and whichever kid ran back first would be the winner. No teamwork necessary! But since the blindfold was required, the best way to win was for each team to walk side by side, the seeing one constantly whispering to and leading the blindfolded one, and the blindfolded one constantly listening and being led around obstacles by the seeing one. Then it hit me. Without your blindfold, God would have to stand there and watch you walk away from Him. He already did that with Adam and Eve and couldn’t bear to do it again. With your blindfold and the seemingly endless invisible obstacles ahead, you feel your need to hold out your hand to Him and ask Him to walk with you side by side. That’s the friendship He so desperately wants with you.

You can’t see Him because He refuses to give up on your friendship, He won’t settle for an imitation friendship, and He wants to enjoy your friendship now. Embrace the blindfold. You’ll see Him soon.