Seeing Leads to Believing

"Can anything good come from Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." // John 1:46

My teenage son wanted to DIY a costume last year. Usually I’m all in for a good homemade costume; they’re fun and inexpensive. What is there not to like?

Plenty in this case, I can assure you. Knowing my son’s temperament, slight perfectionism, and inclination to frustration, I was more than hesitant about this project.

Even with my hesitation, I wanted to support my son’s idea and his determination. We gathered supplies and set up the sewing machine so he could begin. My son sat at the table, I stood over his shoulder, talking:

“First you’re going to need to adjust this setting . . . . The lever is there. . .” until I realized that just telling him the steps was not nearly as effective as showing him.

“How about I show you first?” I offered instead—wondering why I’d agreed to this.

Showing my son how the machine worked was much more effective than merely telling him what to do. He could watch my hands guide the fabric and see the machine in action, learning from my example better than if I’d only spoken to him. And to my surprise, he brought his idea to fruition with only a little frustration involved.

There’s something special about seeing that makes an incredible difference in our experiences. There’s also something about a personal encounter that makes seeing lead to believing.

Imagine if Philip didn’t bother with Nathanael after he expressed his disbelief (attitude?). Or imagine if Philip lived in our time and only used his social media accounts to talk about Jesus, never extending an invitation to “come and see.” I have to wonder if Nathanael would have met Jesus at all.

Sister, our interactions matter as much as our words matter. Both need to proclaim the truth about God’s love. Who in your life is like Nathanael? Pray for the Holy Spirit to work through your life, so that through you others may know the love of Christ.