In our culture of social media, Instagram, Facebook, IGTV, and YouTube, we are pressed to believe that if our faith is not celebrity status, it is not really faith. If our faith is not big enough to have followers and likes, then our faith is not enough. If what we do for Jesus isn’t seen on certain platforms, then we need to do more for Jesus. Celebrity status is not the litmus test of a life that loves and knows Jesus. It is not about how much others see of us—it is how much we see of God. Mary is a great example of a life of faith. Before anyone knew her name, Mary knew and saw God.
Mary did not have celebrity status at this point. No one knew Mary, yet Mary knew God. Mary knew God with the depth of her being. She knew God and could say, “Let it be to me according to your word.” She praises God with a song in Luke 1:46–55, proclaiming who he is and what he has done. She sings of his justice, his faithfulness, and his sight of the poor and lowly. She believes and knows that God sees her. God sees Mary, and Mary sees God. No one knew her, but Jesus did.
the gift of quiet
All of this changes very quickly when Jesus is born. King Herod hears the news and wants to find Jesus so he can kill him (Matthew 2:1–18). Mary is now known, and her son is a threat. Can you imagine what it would have been like if others had known Mary’s story at that point? What if they had known of the crazy, miraculous, culturally problematic pregnancy?
Before she and Jesus were known, Mary was given this gift of quiet and a space to deepen in faith. She was given a few months of reflection. A gift before the chaos. In that time she was able to confide in her cousin, lean into her husband, and deepen her praise and wonder of God. That time of anonymity was a gift of space to ponder, to reflect, to praise, and to get ready for what was to come. And what was to come would be widely public and incredibly painful.
unseen
We all feel the pull to be seen. We want others to notice us, our gifts, and what we have to offer. At times this can be a selfish pull, and we need to remain humble through confession. As we confess our sin, whether it is pride, selfishness, greed, or something else, God’s grace and mercies meet us. At other times the pull of being seen can be the longing to live as God has called you to live, to have someone notice your gifts, your mind, your heart, and your service. With so much competition, minimization, and comparison in our worlds, we are left unseen. Living a faithful life following Jesus does not have to be done on a stage or on a platform. Your obedience to him is not a show.
It gives you the perspective and time to be able to focus on God and not all the other things in life.
health issues have been an unseen space that have generated great humility and time to pray and reflect. having children the same thing. moving to Boise has created the space and time to seek him.
God’s Waiting Room
Here I sit, alone and confused as I sort through the remains of what I think is the end. An unwilling participant in this season of waiting. I feel separated, alone, behind this wall I have feared for so long, believing the lies that any type of inactivity a waste of time. Yet you see time differently Lord, never a moment wasted to your path to my molding and reconstruction. You carefully chip away, removing the excess, to reveal a more definite figure of what I’m designed to be.
Here I sit, with you, submitting to the process of reconstruction, surrendering to the painful yet beautiful way you move in me and through me. No longer an unwilling participant to the process or the waiting. I give in to you my creator designer who sees through the layers, working to bring about your perfect plan in me. I am your servant. May everything you say about me come true.
Well definitely being laid off and quarantined this year was an unseen space for me, and a huge gift! I’ve been able to spend hours a day getting to know Jesus better. I’ve been able to spend time listening to Holy Spirit and I feel like I understand real communion with the Lord. There’s not an hour that goes by that I not listening to His wisdom or leaning on Him and resting in Him. I feel completely trusting and faithful to Him.
They push us to trust in the God who is King over the unknown. God matures our faith through the struggles and the unknown. In everyone’s life right now there is an unknown and God uses it to make Himself known among the nations.
It is a gift as it allows you time to grow, learn, understand, and nurture and your relationship with God. This time and space if used wisely, prepared you for what is lto come ahead so that you will know how to act in God’ way and use His words and actions. You will be able to see it with a better vision, and understand how Jesus wants you to respond
These unseen spaces can be a space where we lean in to his word and trust in him. I believe that it during these times when we fully become aware of who God is, his plans, love and faithfulness for us. It can serve as a reminder that He has always been in control, we haven’t been. Trust Him.
I believe that these unseen spaces are a gift because they shield us from the attacks of doubt and judgment from others. It is during these unseen times that our character and faith are built so that we can stand against the attacks that will follow.
These unseen times are a safe place to grow and mature without all eyes on us. They are a time of intimacy and a time of bonding with the creator of the universe.
What a true gift this is. Thank You Yeshua ?
You get to know yourself with God and have your own relationship, to strip yourself of any worries, make yourself vulnerable to Him (even though He already knows). You get to show/talk about the good, bad, ugly without feeling guilt, which leads to knowing your sins and being able to work through them and pray for them with Him. Most of all you can listen to Him talk to your heart and lead you.
In the chaos of this life (we all have chaos; it’s part of our culture; we can’t escape it) I cherish the quiet -unseen- spaces. These spaces are an opportunity for me to really talk with God. No noise pollution, no community/work demands, no family/friends committments; just me and God talking over life, looking forward and gaining strength and wisdom from Him. There is really no other time or relationship in my life that compares to it.