Hiddenness

Every year, I ask God if he has a unique word or scripture to help me navigate the next twelve months.  

This isn’t me coming up with my own resolution to eat healthier or be kind to others. Nor is it me randomly opening my Bible to some verse I’ll then claim for the year. What I’m describing is far more disruptive and holy. I’m asking God for an advance word and then listening to what he says. 

Several years ago, the word God gave me was hiddenness. To be honest, it felt underwhelming at first. Like a kid at Christmas who wants a puppy but gets a sweater vest. But that was a faulty interpretation. I associated “hidden” with being unseen, unappreciated, irrelevant.  

Then God revealed his meaning of hiddenness. As Isaiah says, “He has hidden me in the shadow of his hand. I am like a sharp arrow in his quiver.” (Isaiah 49:2 NLT) 

Hiddenness was my invitation to be about God’s work without the glare of the spotlight. Rather than pressure to produce, I could savor God’s presence as I created. I loved how more people knew my words, my books, and my voice than my face. It freed me up to do a few things well without looking to the world for validation.  

I encourage you to pursue hiddenness with God. Don’t confuse this with hiding from the world. You’re salt and light that seasons the world. But you’re no longer captive to the world’s definition of success. Once you stop chasing your five seconds of fame, you can leave the shallow end of the baby pool for the depths of the uncharted ocean…together with God.

Hiddenness doesn’t have to be your word for the year to experience it. You can begin today. God will show you how.

Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.  (Colossians 3:2-3 NLT) 

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