People have an inherent need to be seen.

So it’s no surprise that America, at the outcry of a small sect of the population, declared a “National Day of Transgender Visibility.” It’s no surprise that a president placed himself in a position of seeming support to declare a group people “visible,” as if his statement issued support, love, and validation in a meaningful way.

Christians raised an outcry, offended that this day took place this year on Resurrection Day. The disrespect! And they’re right – it’s thumbing the nose at God, to declare a holiday for a lifestyle choice that goes against all He says is good and right in the image of Himself He created in man and woman. It’s ironic, the timing (although the day was declared first in 2021 in the states; it wasn’t new), there’s deeper irony, I believe, in the need to be “seen” at all. 

If we are honest, we all want to be seen. I believe this desire has become an epidemic in our modern society. You see it in the way we dress, the way we obsess over social “media” (which actually means publication or mass communication!), and even in such cultural trends as a show called American Idol, popular for over 8 years.

The enemy loves to twist truth and draw out our longing for what is genuine in a way that is perverted, and we can see that in the realm of identity, and in particular, the need to be seen. We’ll do just about anything to be noticed, even if it’s in our shameful behavior. And here’s the deeper irony: we already are seen, by the God who made us.

Here’s the first deeper irony: We want to be seen and we’ll do anything to get it. In the first place, God sees all our sins (and they’re the very reason we need Him).

In Genesis when Adam and Eve defied God’s command and grasped for themselves the one thing He forbade them (in a perfect home, by the way, with every element of physical and emotional provision they could hope for), the first thing they did was run and hide. And to be fair, shame is a proper response to our sin before a holy God. They went and hid, but He still saw them, in all their shame. And His response? He pursued them (they were never really out of His sight), and replaced their inadequate, pathetic attempt to hide their bodies in the shelter of leaves, by killing an animal and giving them the skins as clothing. In doing so, He foreshadowed His ultimate sacrifice by the blood of Jesus, which would fully and completely cover sins.

We see this idea elsewhere, too, of God seeing us and our sin.

In Psalm 32, the writer says  God blesses the man “whose sin is covered,” and tells us his hidden sin caused him to waste away. When He confessed to God, he was forgiven and freed of this burden.

In Hebrews 4, 12 and 13, we see that God’s word reveals our deepest thoughts and intentions, and “all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

The amazing thing is that God sees us fully for the wretches we are, and He gives us the opportunity for restoration. We can try to hide in our inadequacies, our wrongful desires, our seeking after artificial things, but He invites us to run for our tendencies and into His forgiveness, through Christ.

In a second deep irony, we crave to be seen and will do almost anything to get it; God already sees us in a way that He cares for us: deeply, fully, completely.

There’s a story in Genesis 16 about how Abram and Sarai, pursued a longing in their hearts. God had promised them a child and generations of blessed offspring. When His timing wasn’t fast enough for them, Sarai brought her maidservant Hagar to her husband and said basically, “here, make a baby with her.” Once she conceived, Sarai hated her and regretted her decision. Abram backed out of responsibility, Sarai abused Hagar, and she ran. Alone by herself in the wilderness, Sarai received a visit from God, who gave her her own promise (go read this story again!). Here are a few amazing notes to take away from her encounter (see resource list below for some of my takeaway on this):

• Sarai was a lowly servant girl and God made a personal visit to her (He sees the lowly ones and is gentle toward them).
• Sarai received her own promise, even though she was abused by the ones with whom He had made a covenant (He sees the forgotten ones and still offers mercy).
• Sarai didn’t die when she saw God – and we know one would die from seeing Him in all His holiness (He sees the humble ones and makes Himself known to them).

Here’s maybe the saddest part – Abram and Sarai grasped at their own kind of fulfillment apart from God’s promise, and in doing so, they missed out on a first blessing, they harmed another, and they brought all kinds of trouble on themselves. At best, we miss the opportunity to see the majesty of God’s working when we are impatient and take matters into our own hands. When we reject God’s provision and grasp for ourselves, we will always cause grief.

Although I haven’t watched it, I read much about a hit Broadway film-turned-movie, Dear Evan Hansen. In the words of Fandom, “He (Evan) has social anxiety, which shapes his personality throughout the musical. He is in a total of 11 musical numbers. Evan attempts to find the acceptance and love he has been lacking in his life. On his journey to be found, he discovers the consequences of risking it all for the chance to be heard.”  

Nationwide (perhaps worldwide?) watchers claimed this was also really, secretly, a story of angst experienced by participants in a sexually aberrant lifestyle. One article notes the rising suicide rates in adherents to the LGBTQ, etc… life. In another twist-on-truth, the enemy delights when people are led to believe it’s lack of acceptance, visibility or affirmation that leads to depression, desperation, and self-harm. A climactic moment in the production is Evan’s rendition of “You Will Be Found.” Here are the first lyrics:

Have you ever felt like nobody was there?

Have you ever felt forgotten in the middle of nowhere?

Have you ever felt like you could disappear?

Like you could fall, and no one would hear?

Well, let that lonely feeling wash away

Maybe there’s a reason to believe you’ll be okay

‘Cause when you don’t feel strong enough to stand

You can reach, reach out your hand

And oh, someone will coming running

And I know, they’ll take you home

(Source: Musixmatch | Songwriters: Benj Pasek / Justin Paul | You Will Be Found lyrics © Pick In A Pinch Music, Breathelike Music)

Doesn’t that song sound filled with hope? It seems to be so, promising welcome, light, hope, visibility, and belonging. I’d assert that President Biden’s proclamation offers the same kind of false hope, and likely in an even more damaging way; it seems to offer care that ultimately will only harm the recipient. And it’s a false hope; true life and fulfillment cannot be found apart from Jesus. 

Once again, human nature is willing to settle for “almost;” we’re willing to grasp for an artificial, unfulfilling version of what God intended as precious and good. And it is the reason (more on this in a minute) why God’s people, who know truth and life and hope, must speak the truth in love any and every time we are given opportunity. 

When there is a struggle with sin, and we give up and give in and embrace our own desires for what God says is forbidden, it is tragic. Since the first man and woman, there has always been the struggle against sin, but true sons and daughters of God, through Christ, have the ability to resist sin and in so doing we meet with the incredible blessing of God’s help.

Paul battled sin. Jesus Himself, as scripture says, was tempted to sin. And yet HE DID NOT GIVE IN. And because of His victory over sin and death, in Him we also can resist sin and be forgiven when we give in.

 “Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? ‘My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.’” – Hebrews 12:3-6

Scripture tells us that because of Christ’s work and His indwelling Spirit in those who put their trust in Christ, we can live lives that are righteous, even as we battle our sin nature (see Romans 8).Paul in Colossians refers to the mystery of the gospel – “Christ in you – the hope of glory…” this ASSURED hope for God’s people is the motivator to keep moving… to keep resisting sin and leaning into obedience to our Heavenly Father!

Interestingly, as I was editing this episode, my daughter sent me this quote:

“True fidelity consists in obeying God in all things, and in following the light that points out our duty and the grace that guides us; taking as our rule of life the intention to please God in all things, and to do always not only what is acceptable to Him, but, if possible, what is most acceptable; not trifling with petty distinctions between sins great and small, imperfections and faults, for, though there may be such distinctions, they have no weight with the soul that is determined to do all His will. To this sincere desire to do the will of God we must add a cheerful spirit that is not overcome when it has failed, but begins, again and again, to do better; hoping always to the very end to be able to do it; bearing with its own involuntary weakness as God bears with it; waiting with patience for the moment when it shall be delivered from it; going straight on in singleness of heart, according to the strength that it can command; losing no time by looking back nor making useless reflections upon its falls, which can only embarrass and retard its progress.” Francois Fenelon

We can hold onto this truth, if we are saved by Christ, even in our biggest struggle with sin: We are seen. We are known. We are loved. We are given the opportunity to be forgiven, and to walk freely by God’s grace.

Here is how we respond to the grace God gives in seeing us, both in our sin and in His care for His own:

1. As followers of Christ who have accepted His forgiveness and His provision in the battle against sin, we are given the ministry of reconciliation. We seek to live lives that encourage others toward reconciliation with God through Christ.
2. We continually come to God with a humble, repentant heart and seek His help in resisting our sin nature. We ask Him to help us live in obedience to Him, in response to the His lavish love with which He sees us, even as He fully sees our sinful need for His forgiveness.

We who have found hope, who have been seen by God and covered in our naked, sinful state, must share that gift with any and every person He brings into our path. (See episode 4, Responding to Pride With Humility, for more on this.)

And no matter how hard the struggle, we cannot give up fighting our sinful nature, our desire for satisfaction that, when we seek it apart from God, leads us inevitably to more lack, to self harm, or to harming others.

Read Psalm 31. Read it as a prayer and pray it over and over. Look at Psalm 31 and remember God sees you and loves you. Look at Hebrews 4 and remember we can “fight the good fight” because of the assured promise of eternity and the rest we have waiting for us. Do not harden your heart and look for your own way.

We do have an innate need to be seen. In a lost world, some may (whether with evil intention, selfish motives or even trying to do something “good”) grasp outside God’s best plan for provision and protection and His very presence. We need to heed God’s warning through Paul in his letter to the Hebrews: today, we need to make sure our hearts are soft toward Him, and we humbly accept the gift of His oversight and His love. We need to repent where we have sought lesser things to fill our soul’s craving, and once receiving His forgiveness, speak the truth in love to everyone we can.

 Related episodes:

• How Do You Identify? (episode 33)
• What Does Modesty Have to Do With Hospitality? (episode 8)
• Ask Good Questions – Invite Genuine Community (episode 20)
• Refine Your Focus: Pursue Community in Truth and Love (episode 21)
• What Are You Looking At? How We View Our Lost Friends and Neighbors (episode 34)
• We Need Our People (episode 35)
• Interview with Esther Littlefield – Saying Hard Things

• Hard Hospitality: Responding to “Pride” with Humility (Episode 4)

• The Gospel Comes With A House Key (Rosaria Butterfield)

• Before You Share Your Faith

• Dear Evan Hansen and a “Gay” Storyline

 Scripture references and resources

• Read Psalm 31
• Hebrews 4
• Romans 8
• Got Questions on Hagar’s Story

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