Living in the Shadows

Life in the shadows is not the place that most people want to live in. Humans by nature fight for the spotlight. They long for recognition, praise, and self worth for who they are and what they have done, to live in the spotlight of life. To be noticed by other people. Without this we are living in the shadows. Every one goes through these periods of living in the shadows. Sometimes it feels like you have been living in the shadows for weeks or months. Other times only for a few days. I have been feeling like I am living in the shadows the past couple of days. I don't know why exactly, may be it is a little bit of homesickness or culture shock, but I have been dealing with feels like I am living, also most forgotten in the mix of life happening around me, seen but unseen. Waiting to be seen or remembered.

Then I remember what Jesus said in Matthew 6:1 "Beware of practicing your righteousness (life) before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven." In other words, If you are getting your acceptance, self worth, or spotlight time from others, you better milk it for all it is worth, because that is all you are going to get! By looking for recognitions, praise, and worth in people; we are losing what really matters, God's favor and reward. We should strive to please God and to gain our sense of worth from him and him alone. Man's praise is fleeting and meaning less. God's praise last for ever and is the only thing that true fills is void (longing) in our life for recognition, praise, and self worth. Men are only human and will let us down and disappoint us, but God will never fail, forsake, or forget us. He leads us through the shadows of life to teach us to trust and to find our worth in Him.