Genesis 16:13 She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”
Why are we the loneliest generation in history? This is Pastor Obie’s theory: He thinks that people have forgotten how to see each other, and to see someone is to know someone. During the nearly two-year lockdown of society and associate social distancing, an intrinsic human need of community was taken away from us, leaving digital connection only; no “real time” eye contact in communication for empathy and trust in social interaction is draining. We were no longer together anymore. We don’t see, or hear or sense the nuances of real-time eye contact because there is a delay on digital connections that causes our brains to work more.
Not seeing each other was a fundamental problem in this current generation before 2020. As a result, real and meaningful relationships are becoming superfluous and isolation has peaked. Social media has become the standard of socializing and the resulting consequences have materialized. We are damaging ourselves, while starving for status, living for “likes”, being validated by views, and friends are the number of “Followers” we have. We have to relearn relationships because the current model is not working. Quality is lacking because we stopped seeing each other as we are supposed to. We can learn a thing or two from the story of Hagar.
Genesis 16:1-2 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed to what Sarai said.
Pastor Obie gives us three mistakes that were made in these first two verses. (1) Impatience – expecting the wrong timeline. In Genesis 12:1-4 , The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” So Abram went, as the Lord had told him. This promise is taking longer than Sarai likes, so she takes matters into her own hands to help God along, instead of waiting on the Lord. I encourage you to practice patience. Keep waiting on the Lord and His timing.
Genesis 16:3-4 “After Abram had lived in the land of Canaan ten years, Abram’s wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian [maid], and gave her to her husband Abram to be his [secondary] wife. He went in to [the bed of] Hagar, and she conceived; and when she
Mistake number two (2) Listening to the wrong voices. Abram and Sarai stopped listening to God. To whom are you listening to? Many for bad advice. Eve listened to the serpent and ate the forbidden fruit and Aaron listened to the Israelites people and made a Golden Calf. Are you seeking advice and a validation from the wrong sources? Which voices do you need to silence? Tune your ears back to God. Listen to the “right” voices.
Genesis 16:5-6 Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me.” “Your slave is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.”
Mistake number three to learn from is (3) Playing the Blame Game. Saria doesn’t own up to the fact that this was her own idea. Instead, she blames everyone else. If you want to keep growing and improving then you must humble yourself and own your decisions, then improve upon them. Playing the “blame Game” gets in the way of growth and hinders healing. Accept it and own it, learn from your mistakes and move forward, better and wiser than you were before. Don’t trip over the same stone twice and learn from the mistakes of others, so you can avoid the identical pitfalls.
Let's conclude Pastor Obie message on the God that sees you in the next post.
In Christ, Brian
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