Hide and seek faith

Image found at the blog Social Probiotic.

When playing the game of hide and seek, it is important to be good at quietly hiding once you've hidden and switching up the places you hide, so that whoever is it won't know where to look for you on the next turn. If each time it's your turn to hide and you go to the same place, like say the hamper in your Mom and Dad's room with all the clothes piled on top of you, chances are your siblings are always going to find you first; no matter how many dirty clothes you hide under.

Sometimes the church can think it has the corner on the market of faith. There are times when church-goes become so comfortable within the walls of the church, that they find it hard to comprehend finding any remains of faith outside the walls. From behind the church was, it can be difficult to see where God is at work in the world. If we the church and its members want to get a better glimpse of what God is up to, then maybe we should follow Jesus example in the account of the Roman Commander in the book of Matthew. Jesus was walking in the city with the people of the world, when he was approached by the Roman Commander and was asked for help.

I've always wanted to know more about this Roman Commander. I've wondered how he'd learned about Jesus in the first place. I've wondered if he'd been searching for Christ for a long time. I've wondered what would have happened if Jesus had not been walking through town that day, what would the man had done for his sick servant. Somehow, I think he would have been persistent in is searching; and kept on looking for Jesus until he found him.

This man's faith was so great that even Jesus was taken aback by it.

"What I'm about to tell you is true. In Israel I have not found anyone whose faith is so strong."

All of Israel is a big place. By today's standards, many people would think that the greatest amount of faith would be found within the synagogue or church. That day however, Jesus found the person with the greatest amount of faith to be someone who was not and Israelite. The man with the greatest faith was unexpected, like a great hiding place for a long game of hide and seek. God was at work in the heart and life of a man than many would have dismissed as ever taking an interest in a life of faith.

Today, I believe that God is at work in many hearts and lives of people out there in the world. Instead of thinking that we, the church, have to be the ones to bring to light to the world; we may want to consider looking for people and places that God is already at work and finding a way to help with God's work in that unexpected place. Just like a good game of hide and seek, we have to get up and go to look for the treasure we are searching for. We may be surprised by who God places in our path or where that path may lead, but there is no need to be afraid. God arrived there long before we decide to show up.

Take a chance and prayerfully ask God to show you the places and people to play faith hide and seek with in the world. We may find that there is someone out there like the Roman Commander who has faithfully searching for Christ, but needs your help in finding Him. It's time to play hide and seek. You're it!


Matthew 8:5-12A Roman Commander Has Faith
5 When Jesus entered Capernaum, a Roman commander came to him. He asked Jesus for help. 6 "Lord," he said, "my servant lies at home and can't move. He is suffering terribly." 7 Jesus said, "I will go and heal him."

8 The commander replied, "Lord, I am not good enough to have you come into my house. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 I myself am a man under authority. And I have soldiers who obey my orders. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes. I tell that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."

10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. He said to those following him, "What I'm about to tell you is true. In Israel I have not found anyone whose faith is so strong.

11 "I say to you that many will come from the east and the west. They will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of heaven. They will sit with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 12 But those who think they belong to the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness. There they will sob and grind their teeth."

13 Then Jesus said to the Roman commander, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour.