49 The Shadow is as Important as the Light

Copyright © 2023 Rev. Suela Brown

A person cannot be revealed unless they have first been hidden. A seed cannot become a plant unless it has first died. Many people fail because they were never 'hidden' or 'buried'.

'Reveal yourself', his biological brothers said to Jesus. They did not understand that it is not just about revelation, it is also about the right timing and about character. Only someone who is not in a hurry to be revealed, is truly ready to be revealed. Being given too much too early destroys future productivity, just as a seed dries up when it remains above the ground.

I have lived long enough to have seen people with great potential fail to become what God intended them to be, because they were given too much too soon. In a conversation with a retired teacher who taught me in my first year of art college, and who continued to teach me even after he retired, I asked 'How was it that you were so reserved about complementing our art works?' Not that he did not give us occasional compliments, of course. This was his answer: 'I have seen in my long teaching experience that the moment you shower compliments on those who were truly able, they got satisfied and they stopped giving of themselves. Something happened that hindered their progress.' It was as though getting the compliment was their ultimate goal, rather than maturing through modest encouragement and a lot of work, and pushing themselves. And so it can happen with many who have potential in God's work. They are given too much too soon.

Jesus was not in a hurry. He knew that when he was revealed, there would come testing and trying. Only someone who has endured the agony of being concealed can overcome the temptations, pressures and dangers of the limelight. It was not about fame. It had nothing to do with popularity and fame, it all had to do with pleasing his Heavenly Father.

His life and journey in ministry was so gracious, because there was no self-ambition. Ego had been crucified in those 30 years when the king of Kings, the Son of God, walked the dusty roads, lived a simple life, fixed people's windows and doors, and was overlooked by his contemporaries who themselves were moving on in the social and religious sphere and making a name for themselves.

Quietly, graciously he walked the fine line until one day on that cross he would accomplish successfully the mission of his life. He was lifted high, and he could no longer be hidden from either the natural or the spiritual realms.

Humble yourself, and in God's timing he will exalt you. Be more in love with the hole where you are buried, than with longing after great heights and the limelight! Joseph was hidden away in a prison. Moses in the desert. David in pastures with the sheep. John the Baptist in the wilderness. You may be hidden, but you are not forgotten. You are exactly where you need to be, in the Potter's hands, being moulded and shaped for greater things. Your time will come!

Rev. Suela Brown