“And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ” (Galatians 1:22 ESV).
Paul reminded the Galatians that even after his dramatic conversion, he did not immediately step into public ministry. For years, he was “unknown” to the churches in Judea. Galatians 1 provides one of the clearest autobiographical windows into Paul’s early years, and when harmonized with Acts, scholars generally reconstruct a rough 14-year period from Paul’s conversion to the Jerusalem Council.
This showed God’s sovereign hand in preparing Paul away from the limelight. Just as Moses spent forty years in the wilderness before confronting Pharaoh, and Jesus fasted forty days before beginning His public ministry, Paul’s ministry was forged in 14 years of obscurity. Paul’s hidden years in Arabia, Damascus, and Tarsus remind us that preparation in secret often precedes proclamation in public. God doesn’t waste those hidden years; He uses them to deepen dependence, shape character, and confirm calling.
Do you ever feel like you’re laboring in obscurity––like you’re living out a Bob Dylan song lyric: “How does it feel to be on your own with no direction home like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone?”
We all crave recognition and want to make an immediate impact. But God often shapes His servants in hidden places. Before David ever fought Goliath, he learned to fight lions and bears in the shepherd’s field. Before the disciples turned the world upside down, they spent three years walking with Jesus. Paul’s testimony encourages us not to despise seasons when we feel unknown or overlooked. God uses these seasons to be rooted in His Word, to teach us prayerful dependence, and to purify our motives. If you find yourself in a season of hiddenness, remember: God may be preparing you for what He has planned for you. We must not despair or give up when attending God’s school of the unknown. For we are fully known by Him.
PRAYER: Dear Father, we thank You we are fully known by You. Teach us to trust You when we feel unseen or overlooked. Just as You prepared others in obscurity, prepare us when we feel we are laboring without reward. May we grow in humility, patience, and Christlikeness while we wait, so that when You call us into greater responsibility, we will serve with faithfulness and not pride. In Jesus’ name, amen.