At times I find myself hiding out. I’m hanging back hoping no one will notice me. I let other people go first. I wait for someone else to initiate. I stay safe and hidden.
This hiding type of behavior is contrary to getting out there and making a difference. When I make a difference, I get noticed.
There’s a part of me that wants to stay hidden and there’s a part of me that wants to make an impact. These parts of me are at war with each other. I have one foot on the gas and the other on the brakes at the same time.
This might seem like a strange statement – that hiding is at odds with making an impact. You might ask, “Can’t you make an impact anonymously?” Sure, you can give anonymously, but your impact will be limited. In the same way that you can be a remote/anonymous parent to a child, you can make an anonymous impact. But then your results will be similarly stunted. At some point to increase your impact, you will have to (and should) get noticed.
The hiding out part of me used to win pretty much all the time. But I’ve learned that hiding out doesn’t really benefit anyone but me. It’s pretty empty, and it doesn’t satisfy my need to live a life of significance. In order for God to show off through me, I must show up.
Now I am much more comfortable having the spot light on me – not for fame and glory, but all in service to other people.
My questions for you today are: Are you hiding out? If so, is that really benefiting others? If you didn’t worry about the discomfort of being noticed, what would you do?
