Slave LivingIsampula

FREEDOM TO BE SEEN

Life as a slave is a low-profile existence. The job is ideally done without anybody noticing the slave or them being in the way. A slave is not there to be seen or heard, but to do the tasks assigned to them without any hassles caused to the owner.

The same was true for Hagar. When she could no longer stand Sarai’s harsh treatment, she left without a fuss or being seen (Genesis 16). But instead of finding an even more undercover hiding place in the wilderness, she found Someone who saw her every move. Not all God had to say to her meant smooth sailing from that moment on (v. 9-12), but it didn’t matter. She was free to be seen. “Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the Lord, who had spoken to her. She said, ‘You are the God who sees me’” (v. 13, NLT).

In the New Testament, we find another example of someone who thought he was invisible. We don’t know what hurt in Nathanael’s life caused him to be skeptical. But his inability to believe what seemed too good to be true did not stop Jesus from truly seeing him (John 1). “As they approached, Jesus said, ‘Now here is a genuine son of Israel - a man of complete integrity.’ ‘How do you know about me?’ Nathanael asked. Jesus replied ‘I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you’” (v. 47-48, NLT).

In the same way, being slaves to sin and the consequences of our wrong actions often makes us believe that we are invisible. We keep a low profile, just serving our harsh masters of guilt and shame obediently. But thanks be to Christ who gives us the freedom to be seen by Him completely. “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, butting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God” (Hebrews 4:12-13, NLT).

Do you feel like you are invisible without anybody who truly sees your heart? Do you sometimes long for someone to see your efforts instead of your failures?

Let us step into freedom in Christ with boldness and confidence to be seen. Let us allow Him to see us completely while trusting his perfect love for us. We are no longer slaves of sin, but friends of God. “So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God” (Romans 5:11, NLT).