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.
These times and moments where no one sees us is the time that we need to take to grow closer to God and reflect on what he is teaching us. When we do have moments of silence it gives us to grow in ourselves and in God. We also get to take those moments and learn or grow our gifts he has given us.
I’m reminded of what Jill Briscoe said at IF 2017. She says, “ Go where you’re sent, stay where you’re put, give what you’ve got.” There’s a lot of power there. We are called to be faithful where we are regardless of how many people we think we are reaching, we have to let God be the one working in us and he will pave the way for us.
Love that quote. Thank you!
I believe this really hits home for a lot of us right now! Being “stuck” at home is not easy or even enjoyable at times But if we change our view and look at it as a Gift my mind and heart start to shift upward! The pull to Be Seen I feel is also even stronger now during this time. I pray that my focus would be to spend more time being seen by God instead of trying to be seen by others on social media.
This time that we are in right now is that "forced" time to just "be still" and refocus. I hope I can learn to be still and refocus regularly instead of being forced to in times of trials or anxiety. Even in the midst of the uncomfortable times that we are living in, this time is a gift to be embraced and grateful for. I pray that things don’t go back to "normal", but that I have a chance to really be humbled to change.
I believe this Covid-19 forced stay in has really given me the time to reflect about what is important. I miss helping others but find even a phone call is a help.
Reading my Bible and my bible group with Pastor Bob is a blessing. But quite time is a treasured time with God.
As a parent of toddler boys and a baby, I often feel unseen, or uninvolved with ministry. But I’m reminded how important these years are for my kids development, and how quickly I’ll miss these little hands and their "aggressive love". God not only has a plan for my life, but theirs as well and this time matters so much more then I often realize!
The unseen spaces can be used as a gift to meditate on God’s word and song. I need to take time to listen to God speak to me and be fully enveloped in all that is Him.
I like to write notes in my Bible, often including the date. Sometimes I come across a special date that only became special later on. I love to see how God was speaking to me with omniscience, while I was still clueless.
Its a gift, because of just that. I know I was meant to come across this study. It has spoken directly to my situation and heart. God has put it in my heart to know him more deeply, more accurately. To trust in Him more. Before the whole quarantine thing, i started a business selling makeup. I got back in social media- to sell, to share what i was doing. But ultimately i wanted to be seen. Seen for my talents, seen for all of my good works seen for who i am, but really i wanted to out in a show and thats what i ended up doing. My intention was to be real with people, open up in ways others haven’t in social media- trying to bring community to the platform but even in that i wanted to be seen and glorified almost. I became consumed with the image i was putting out. How “christian” i looked, how good of a person i was, how smart, funny, etc. but it brought me to a place of emptiness, shame, and conviction. I was ashamed of how prideful i was acting, how arrogant. When quarantine hit God asked me to stop. To stop chasing things and people that weren’t Him. Stop trying to fake it. And really get to know Him. Ive prayed and asked God to let me know him more. To make me more like Him. I know i can pray that in confidence because i believe its His will. His word says its His will to mold us. So God, let it be. Mold me.
How authentic and beautiful. Thank you for sharing this. It may look different, but MANY of us "chase things and people that aren’t Him" on the daily on social media. It’s exhausting. Thanks for being real.
The unseen spaces gives time for reflection without distraction. I wonder if now, in current time is our own unseen time to set aside away from a world of distraction and use the gift of time to reflect and connect?