Do You Hide What God Wants to Reveal?

 

Let me tell you about the morning I learned how God can reveal wisdom and truth even through the moments that make us want to spit out our coffee.

I was curled into my oversized family room couch with my Bible open and milk swirled into my steaming coffee beside me. I was in the midst of my daily date with God, a stolen but savored mess of minutes that I’ve chosen to give to him first thing in the morning. And when I say first thing, I mean after the kids are off at school. When I can actually drink my coffee hot. Without anyone telling me how I’ve forgotten to sign the permission slip, or cooked the eggs wrong or lost the latest fidget spinner.

My house is often too dark for my taste, so much so I have lights on all day, but in the morning the sunlight slinks across the wooden floor and nestles in for a morning nap right in front of me. Oh how I love this time. Me and Jesus. Me and my coffee. Me and a sunbeam.

It was perfect. But here’s the thing about perfect: it doesn’t last. In fact, I think perfection is really just a tease. As I was settling back into my Bible study I took a final wide-eyed, joy-filled glance across the room. And then I saw it: the giant spider web under the crisp white desk, strands of silk stretching far and wide, a perfect glittery home created by a creature I hadn’t even known was there. Suddenly I’d lost the taste for my coffee.

Aghast, I scanned the other brightly lit surfaces of the family room. Dust had settled on the desk. Didn’t I just dust? I thought. When was that? A day or two? A week? Whatever.

From the dust I moved on, as if my eyes had suddenly been given the gift of Molly Maid vision. And sure enough, there on the glass patio door were dozens of greasy fingerprints, dog slobber and other questionable dried liquids that I think it best we don’t investigate further. Suffice it to say: my peaceful quiet time was now plagued with this embarrassing idea that housekeeping is not my gifting. And that I’d lost track of time again. And that I needed to add cleaning to my already too-long To Do list. Well, poop.

And so I sat there. And I flipped through my Bible. And I thought about this light that was cascading into my quiet place and revealing my shortcomings. Because it wasn’t just about the cobweb and the dust and the fingerprints. It felt bigger than that. I felt like these mini failures were giving me a clue about not only my role as a housekeeper, but also as a timekeeper – because time always goes faster than we realize. And that spider that had labored to make my home his home reminded me there is so much life beyond my perspective and my periphery.

As I sat and mulled over these questions and observances, the Holy Spirit poured his wisdom into me. Just as the light in my family room revealed my flaws and allowed me to shift my perspective, the light of Christ in our life does the same.

Because through his perfection and his Word we realize:

• We hide things about ourselves that embarrass us or reveal our flaws, but his desire it to reveal our flaws and use them for the kingdom. What we desire to keep in the dark he desires to reveal and turn into light. The Apostle Paul reminds us of this in Ephesians 5:13 when he teaches us that everything that is exposed by light becomes visible and everything that becomes illuminated becomes a light. Sometimes the greatest secrets we desire to keep in the dark – whether as small as dust or as big as an addiction – are exactly what God is going to use to bring others to his kingdom. He will take what you sought to hide, reveal it, and turn it into a light for you and for others. He will take what you sought to hide, reveal it, and turn it into a light for others. Encourage a Friend
• Each day is a gift. The breath we take for granted when we sigh at the morning alarm clock and the dust that settles as we sift through the crazy are reminders of the gift of life. Sometimes time has the edge and we feel left behind, and sometimes time feels as though it will never move forward again. No matter the day, it is the day the Lord has made, and in it you are one day closer to his plan for your life.
• We are called to let our light shine so that God is glorified in heaven. Jesus tells us that we need to let our light shine before others so they may see our good deeds and glorify God because WE are the representation of the light – Christ – in this world. When we get stuck with our eyes down, our hearts focused on what’s ailing us or the dreams we’re chasing, there are friends, family, strangers and neighbors who are impacted by our involvement or our neglect. So look up. Don’t just stop at the spider web in the corner. Look in the aisles of the grocery store. Or the benches on the playground. Or the cubicle in your office. Who needs what you can offer? A compliment? A helping hand? A reminder that she is seen by you even when she isn’t standing in the limelight?

And so, dear friends, wherever you are – whether at work or at home, whether cleaning up your own mess or someone else’s, whether dreaming or discouraged – I want to encourage you to look at your mess anew. Let Christ shine his light into your dark spaces and places – in your home, life, and heart – and revel in whatever he desires to reveal. Because once the light shines upon it, he will use it.

 

Do you sometimes wonder where God is in your crazy? Do you feel like your faith doesn’t even make your To Do list?

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