Nothing hidden...

Week 44:

Hebrews 4:13 ¹³ Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

As I was growing up, I viewed this passage and others like it from a place of fear.  I have always been taught that God knows everything.  For the most part, I would live my life in such a way as to not do wrong out of fear for God.  Of course, I would make mistakes and actually take part in willful sin.  When I did, I felt enormous shame around my choices and the fear would grow.  I know God wants us to have fear for Him, but not in that way. 

Over the course of the past few years I have done some contemplating around the ideas of transparency and vulnerability.  What happens when I shine the light of God into the deepest corners of my soul, heart, and mind?  I believe that some of what God has revealed, through several sources, is that there are two parts of myself that continually need to be uncovered and no longer hidden. 

 

The first is the obvious; the sinful rebellious part.  God knows it all!  There is no hiding my sin from Him.  So, when I hide my sin, the person it affects is me.  When I hide those dark parts of me in shame and fear, they begin to master me.  I think about Cain and the advice that God gave him in Genesis 4:7.  God is basically telling Cain to own his responsibility or it will master him.  And, it ultimately did.  He killed his brother.  God doesn’t tell me to bring my sin and darkness into the light only because it is unholy.  He tells me also for myself so that my sin will not master me.  When I am able to lay myself bare before God, His Spirit helps me to move away from the mastery of darkness. 

A second part of me that God reveals to me is my goodness.  The power He has placed within me to do His work much of the time is also hidden.  Most of the time, my focus on my negative traits and shame blinds me from seeing the good parts of me.  God made me for a purpose; He gave me power to carry out that purpose and He shines His light of goodness into my heart to remind me that I am made in His image.  When I hide parts of myself in the shadows for fear of shame and exposure, I also hide the good parts of me.  In a sense these parts are “collateral damage” as a consequence of my hiding. 

As I lay myself bare before God and allow His light to shine in, I take responsibility for my sin and give an account to God.  In turn, I open up a door of Grace that has been shining down all along.  Furthermore, I discover the good parts of me that are hidden.  No matter how painful it may be to own my “stuff” before God and men, the warmth of grace feels much better than the lack of power over my life does. 



Questions/challenges:

1. How has this passage landed with you?
2. What parts of you do you need to lay bare in front of God (those parts He already knows about)?  
3. What goodness have you hidden that needs to be put into the light?
4. Why do you suppose you have hidden the goodness?
5. Pay attention this week and notice what God is calling out of your darkness. Both sinful things as well as good things. Confess what needs to be confessed and accept what good needs to be shown.
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