In the early years of one’s Christian walk, there is often a quiet longing for God to move through us. We pray for fruit, clarity, usefulness, and moments that feel significant. What we rarely ask for is the slow work God does in the places no one sees. Only later do we begin to understand that the deepest formation often happens long before anything becomes visible.

There are seasons when faithfulness feels unnoticed. We show up, we serve, we pray, yet nothing seems to move. The silence feels like a verdict, as if God is withholding direction or closeness. It takes time to see that these stretches of hiddenness are not signs of inactivity. Hiddenness is not a detour from formation; it is the ground where formation begins.

Christian discipleship is often a matter of hidden faithfulness.