The rat race… In our professional careers, adults spend the majority of their time in an exhausting, usually competitive routine. We work, we make money, we spend money, the quality of our life improves, we run out of money, we work harder to make more money. We hope someone recognizes our achievements. What’s the point of working so hard and no sees what you’ve accomplished. We crave the attention. When you’re a child, life is a lot simpler. There aren’t too many things you need to worry about. Bills didn’t cross your mind. The chaos of the world didn’t touch you. You were in your own little bubble. Your relationships were also simple – mom and dad, they were your whole world. Your parents hid and shielded you. Their attention was all that mattered to you. Pastor Sharo’s mom says if there was a time she could do all over again, it would be the time when she had her children all to herself. When she didn’t have to share them with the world. To be hidden is to be protected and cherished.
We might think of hiddenness as a negative thing. I submit to you Preacher Girl, that there is strength in the hiddenness. Think of hidden things, a floating iceberg doesn’t actually float on the surface of the water. It’s usually just the tip of a massive ice formation. In its sheer size, both seen and unseen, an iceberg has the strength to sink massive ships.
A plant cannot grow without first putting down roots, the majority of which are never seen. We will spend most of our lives being hidden. However, in the hiding, you get the growth. Think of a baby hidden in womb, it will grow and develop until it is time to emerge. We live in a time when people want to be released and set forth, yet they don’t want to take the time to grow.
Jesus spent 30 years of His life mostly hidden. His public ministry spanned three years. We know His birth story, we see Him briefly at age 12, but we don’t get to really experience His earthly ministry until He comes to John the Baptist to be baptized. Something amazing happens at His baptism! A great heavenly voice says, “This is my beloved Son!” God’s own Son! The ultimate CV. Yet, right after this declaration, the Bible tells us that Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. Even after being thrust into the spotlight, He spent some time hidden. In fact, throughout His ministry, He often retreated in solitude to pray.
Today I am here to speak to those of you who feel obscure, hidden, and forgotten. God’s favorite part of your life is your hidden part. That’s the part where it’s just you and Him. When God sends someone valuable, He’s not putting them on a pedestal. Even King Jesus wasn’t born in a palace, but in a manger. You might feel like you’re going nowhere but rest assured, you are not in a holding pattern, you’re in a hidden pattern. Stop despising the season of hiddenness. God prefers you when nobody knows you. Be okay with being hidden. Cherish the valuable time when it’s just you and God. Like Pastor Sharo’s mom, God’s best time with you is when it’s just you and Him. Be encouraged in your hidden season PG.
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