Divine Hiddenness Leads to Genuine Love
Why Does God Often Feel Hidden?
As someone who frequently contemplates how to best introduce Christ to people, I often wonder why God is not more evident. Even on a personal level, I wish I could experience God’s presence more vividly. In fact, atheists frequently point to this seeming hiddenness of God as evidence that God does not exist. The explanations I’ve heard from Christians range from it being part of God’s mysterious plan to the fact that we’re not pursuing Him or living right. Others disagree that His hiddenness is even true, arguing instead that knowing God happens when we read the Bible, and that God speaks to us each time we read the scriptures. I agree that He does speak to us through the Bible, but I don’t believe that’s His only method. However, J. Warner Wallace presented a concept[1] that particularly resonated with me. It is the idea that God’s partial hiddenness enables us to cultivate a more genuine love. Let’s take a trip to Bangkok to illustrate this idea.
Story: A Love of Ulterior Motives
High above the bustling streets of Bangkok, me and my sister were waiting on a sky train platform. One lane to the left of us stood an older Western man, his face etched with wrinkles and his unkempt gray hair blowing in the wind. Closely beside him stood a young Thai woman wearing a short summer dress and a pair of heels, her youthful beauty still apparent. At first glance, and pretending they looked alike, someone may think he was her grandfather. However, based on their body language, they appeared to be a couple. It is quite evident that their relationship is not one of equality, but of something else.
After seeing such a couple, one can’t help but contemplate the nature of their relationship. Without knowing the details, it is easy to assume that the man’s wealth or nationality from a wealthier country is likely the compensation for his additional years, a reality that would cast a shadow over any form of genuine love. While she showed affection publicly, he must question the authenticity of her love and the likelihood she is motivated by ulterior benefits. Would she have chosen him if she knew nothing about his substantial assets and hadn’t received lavish gifts? One could easily assume she has traded genuine love for the comfort his affluence provides.
As the train arrived, my sister and I exchanged silent glances. We like to assume people seek relationships built on equality, respect, and genuine affection, appreciating the love that stems from the heart rather than the external benefits one receives. For a relationship to be truly loving, it should be built on respect, trust, and putting the other’s interests first as well as steadfastness through difficult times.
Love Requires Authenticity
Please don’t mistake the following narrative for dating advice (though you are certainly welcome to use it as such), but rather think about it in relation to God. Because of His presence, power, and position as God, He is easily able to overpower us. It’s easy to love God because of what He can give us rather than who He is. If we look at the story of Israel in the Old Testament, we see that they often stray from God, only to experience dire calamities before turning back to God and being rescued. This process is then repeated. The text of 2 Chronicles 6:36-39 depicts this pattern well, “If they sin against you […] and are given in to an enemy, so that they are carried away captive to a land far or near; then if they come to their senses […] and repent, and plead with you in the land of their captivity […] then hear […] their prayer and their pleas, maintain their cause and forgive your people”. When I was younger, sometimes my parents would offer me an incentive if I completed a certain task. I completed it diligently, but my motives were not based on helping my family, but on personal reward. Acting genuinely is more challenging when there is motivation to avoid hardship or obtain advantages.
God is aware that many people would be more captivated by His wonder and might than in cultivating a close, loving relationship with Him in which we surrender to His transformative influence and align ourselves with His will out of love and devotion. To love God, to serve others, and to find fulfillment in life, we should surrender to God’s kingdom perspective in our lives.
Love Requires Freedom
Visualize a police officer that followed you everywhere you went. You may still have free will, but your actions would be influenced by the awareness of immediate consequences. Rather than acting out of moral conviction, you would be motivated primarily by fear. In like manner, an ever-present authority of God’s presence and the evidence of God’s power would motivate us to perform good works for the wrong reasons. God’s subtler presence enables us to act in accordance with our own desires without immediate thought of repercussions. Even though God sees all we do behind closed doors, we have the freedom to choose whether to follow God’s will by paying attention to His still, small voice. Rather than a mighty wind, rumbling earth, or blazing fire, God spoke to Elijah in a still, small voice (1 Kings 19:11-12). In the Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (TOTC) Donald Wisewan writes, “The soft voice of God speaking to the conscience, illuminating the mind and stirring resolve in individual and nation may follow and is often preferable to the loud roaring and thunder of cosmic events at Sinai and Carmel.”[2] Our ability to freely choose God would be severely compromised if God came to us as a tornado, earthquake, or blazing fire (figuratively speaking).
Knowing that love does not insist on its own way (1 Corinthians 13:5) can help us understand the need for God to be somewhat hidden. Our capacity for genuine love depends on the extent of our moral autonomy.
Love Requires Trust
Now, visualize that your faithful spouse has just left for work. You continue to have trust in the relationship even though you are unable to see what it is that they are doing at the present moment. You still consider yourself married and are not wondering if your spouse has remained faithful to you while away. Similarly, we should trust that God is faithful, that He still loves us and is present in our lives even though we don’t actively feel Him at various seasons of life. This is essential to maintaining a healthy relationship with God. Your belief in God, and so your love for God, would be limited if you required Him to continually demonstrate Himself to you for you to maintain your devotion. A spouse shouldn’t have to be ever present to remind you that you’re still married. This comparison, of course, ignores the distinction that God is always present, even if His presence is somewhat hidden. Like in any relationship, it’s important to reflect on your relational journey and what makes that relationship meaningful. It is valuable for us to remember the experiences and occasions where God has revealed himself. “Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for me” (Psalms 66:16).
Love Requires Evidence
If God were fully concealed, so that even someone actively searching Him out would find no indication of His existence, then it would be absurd to try to pursue Him. However, when I consider my own life, I see that God has shown Himself to me. His peaceful presence helped me through a difficult period with my family. He was there providing me with wisdom and keeping me from what could have been a severe car accident. He has prompted me to give generously to strangers, and he has used a soft voice to direct my team as we participated in an evangelistic outreach. This is by no means a comprehensive list; I also admit that there likely have been several occasions in which God spoke or acted, but which I have instead attributed to my own thoughts or mere coincidence. Keeping a record of the ways God has shown up in your life will help you reflect on His goodness and serve as a reminder during the times when you may feel like you don’t experience His presence.
I should add that while these reasons do address some concerns about God’s divine hiddenness, there are instances in which they fall short. Remember that God is love and that His subtle presence must be for the purpose of love. In this case, cultivating our love to be genuine. Continue to be vigilant in your pursuit of the truth. I intend to eventually write an article on the complications of atheism and the signs that point to God’s existence in the world.
A Quick Thought on Prayer
When I was younger, my prayers were more like a list: please help me feel better, make my sister a kinder person, etc. As I matured spiritually (or so I like to think), I have realized it was probably selfish to pray for sunny skies during a party when we’ve been in a drought and a neighboring farmer may be praying for rain. Therefore, rather than worrying about the weather during a party, I prayed that God would provide me with the mindset to have a positive attitude regardless of the situation. Even if we aren’t seeking guidance on which stocks to invest in, we nonetheless frequently make prayer requests. Maybe you’re asking God for guidance as you lead a Bible study. Even if God were to answer each of our requests (which is another discussion), doing so would promote a relationship that would lead us to seek God for the wrong reasons. God’s goal is for us to increase in genuine love, trust, and relationship, not for Him to play the role of a genie.
Think about the content of your prayers and the things you bring up in conversation with God. Are most prayers like going to a mechanic: you tell Him what’s wrong, and it’s His responsibility to make it right? Or do you approach God more like a friend, coming to him when you need something but also offering to assist? Perhaps we should pray more like this, Lord, I see the injustice in (insert place); should I do anything about it? Should I go? Or assist financially?
Perhaps we will have a richer experience if we bring into balance our requests to God to solve present issues and simply spend time allowing Him to speak and share the revelation of His heart. As much as God wants us to make our requests known to Him (Philippians 4:6), we should also consider what we can contribute to the relationship. Sometimes it may be helpful to simply express our hearts without any specific requests or needs. Ask for wisdom as you prepare for a Bible study, but also simply share your feelings, dreams, ideas, and thoughts. Ask Him to speak, meditate on Him, and admire His creation.
If God had no other powers or knowledge besides creating us and loving us, would we still want to have a relationship with Him? We shouldn’t love God because it protects us from hell, keeps us healthy, blesses us with a wonderful family, or prompts us to deliver eloquent sermons. We should love Him because He is our creator, the being of love, and desired us when we had rejected Him. Rather than loving with His various displays of love, develop a love with love itself.
[1] J. Warner Wallace, “Why Is God So Hidden?,” Cold Case Christianity, September 22, 2017, https://coldcasechristianity.com/writings/why-is-god-so-hidden/.
[2] Donald J. Wiseman, 1 and 2 Kings: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 9, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), 185.
Leave a Reply