When God calls you to serve Him, you’ll sometimes go through a time of feeling invisible. God called Isaiah ‘from the womb’ (v. 1 NKJV), but he still went through a season of being hidden ‘in the shadow’ while God perfected his ministry. When God gives you a vision, it can be really frustrating if you’ve sacrificed things and worked towards it without recognition or seeing results. It’s easy to feel like you’re wasting your life. Isaiah was human too. He got discouraged and said, ‘I have laboured in vain…spent my strength for nothing’ (v. 4 NIVUK). But even if you feel that way, it doesn’t mean God’s forgotten about you. Jesus waited for thirty years before He started His public ministry. Moses, David, John the Baptist, and Paul endured years of obscurity before they were brought to the forefront. In God’s kingdom there are no overnight sensations. That anonymous time is a time of preparation. Author Beth Jones puts it like this: ‘During that time the Lord is polishing, sharpening and preparing us to fit into His bow, so at the right time…He can launch us into fruitful service. The invisible years are years of serving, studying, being faithful in another person’s ministry and doing the behind-the-scenes work.’ So be patient. God’s just waiting for the right time to unleash you.
What Now?
Ask if you can help with some of the more mundane tasks at your church – things like making coffee, setting out chairs, taking meeting notes, and so on. However unimportant the tasks seem, try to do them better each time. After a few weeks, reflect on how much you’ve learned and improved.
