Seen and Unseen

I used to pretty often say to my former pastor, “thanks for all you do, seen and unseen.” We were friends for a time and worked closely together for many years, so I knew the hardship he faced and the toll his position would often take on him and his family. Pastors are not superheroes, they’re just people. They are imperfect humans who sometimes suffer because of the calling of God on their lives. By the time they get to the stage or pulpit on Sunday morning, they have invested hours, days, weeks, months of preparation just to deliver that one sermon. And that’s not all they do! These are husbands, fathers, brothers, and sons… they are leaders, employers, mentors, and visionaries… and they don’t stop even when it seems like all the work is done. Why? Because they are burdened with a passion to see YOU and your family set free… to see ONE MORE lost person come to Christ… to see MANY saved alive and giving their all to the Lord.

What we see on the stage and hear from the pulpit are the FRUIT of what was done in the dark… the outcome of what can only be described as a treasure of “unseen” investments. Hours and days of work, prayer, study, work, more prayer, even more study… and sometimes an outpouring of joy or anguish, or even their own repentance, because of the Word the Father has given that needs to be shared. “Do it in me first, Lord! Don’t let me teach this Word until You do it in me first!”

Guys, we need to pray for our pastors and their families. It’s a hard job.

A Light Shines in Darkness

“No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a bowl or hides it under a bed. A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house. For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all.”

Luke 8:16-17

When we shine with the light of what the Father has placed inside our hearts, we become filled with a beauty that has no comparison. That is where God wants us to be… free from burdens, overflowing with love, and shining without fear for all to see. We were made to be a lighthouse drawing all men to the Father. A light shining in the darkness.

But just as our pastors prepare “in the dark” where their efforts are completely unseen by others, our gifts and callings and desires for the Lord must also go through times of hidden preparation. Sometimes we can be in preparation and training for many years before the Lord begins to open doors for us… healing our wounds, testing our patience, trying our motives, helping us to grow. Can we stand up under the weight of responsibility?

Jesus is our one true light. He lived 30 years before He began his brief public ministry, and all that time He was faithful in the “unseen” things. He studied God’s Word and prayed. He worked as a craftsman, building with His bare hands. He was a son, a brother, and a friend. The Bible says, “Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man,” (Luke 2:52). This was his training ground and He was faithfully quiet in receiving His training until His Father said the timing was right. When the Lord decided it was time for Jesus to be “seen,” it was the Lord who revealed Him through His first public miracle of turning water into wine… and not a moment before He was ready.

Audience of One

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time HE may exalt you,”

1 Peter 5:6 ESV

When we know, or believe we know, what we are called to do in life, we want it to happen NOW. But if we are working to be “seen,” all of our efforts are meaningless. It is better to do our work in secret, telling no one, and let the Lord be the one who brings it into the light. Then our joy will be full because HE is the one who is setting us on a lampstand to be seen by all. We have then proven ourselves to be faithful, humble servants who can be trusted to do His great works.

If we are jumping through one hoop after another to gain the favor or approval of man, we are undermining our own faith… sinking our own hope… and making ourselves miserable for something that ultimately has no value. People-pleasing and perfectionism are highly addictive drugs that take us from the highest highs to the lowest lows. Their demands can never be satisfied and they will never give us what we are truly seeking.

Plant the Seeds

If we want to have the FRUIT of true and lasting joy in our everyday lives, we must plant the hidden seeds of our own treasure of “unseen” investments. These are great works of faithfulness that seem small and of no consequence, but they are the very essence of our “full cup” and firm foundation. We must learn to be faithful in the small things before we can be made ruler over much, (Matthew 25:21).

• Spend time with the Lord and in His Word. Abide in Him and He will abide in you. That’s a promise. Without Him, we can’t bear good fruit. (John 15:4-11)
  
• Take your spouse off the back burner. Take time to listen and really get to know your children. Do your dishes and fold up the laundry. Be on-time to work and do a great job. Sow into your own health and peace of mind.
  
• Be obedient, soft-hearted, and humble before the Lord. Stay away from what you know is a sin. Get rid of gossip, jealousy, strife, competition, and backbiting. Get comfortable with the fact that you’ll never be perfect, and stop beating yourself up. His grace is sufficient for you and His mercies are new every morning, (2 Cor 12:9, Lam 3:23).
  
• Learn to let go. There’s no need to make something happen. The Lord will accomplish everything that concerns you (Psalm 138:8). Everything.