Layogenic

As of 2023, more than 1,000 new and revised words, phrases, senses, including words or English words with Filipino meanings have been included in the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). The slang “layogenic” may make it to the OED soon.  

Layogenic (described as a person who is attractive from a distance, but not on close up) was recently spotlighted by BBC Two, the second flagship channel of the United Kingdom’s British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), as word of the day. Trust Pinoy creativity to come up with Layo (far) and genic (photogenic).  

This word evokes images of our wondrous God in His beautiful Kingdom far away from us. 

But God Himself debunks this in Scripture. Jesus might have gone back to heaven, but He left His Holy Spirit to indwell, or take residence, in the body of every believer. He is not just near us—He is with us and in us, and brings about life-changing results.

The Holy Spirit confirms to us that we are heirs of the Lord and fellow heirs with Christ (Romans 8:8-10):  

“. . . those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.  But . . . you are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. [And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.] And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God.”  

How wonderful to live forever in faraway heaven, but how amazing to know that the King Who rules that place is residing in our heart today! 

When sometimes we forget that God is indwelling in our heart, may His guiding grace nudge us to remember.