Opening the Hidden Rooms

Happy Monday to our CFC Family;

Have you ever watched one of those videos where someone buys an old house, moves in, and then discovers something completely unexpected? Perhaps they are tearing down an old wall and suddenly find a doorway hidden behind it. Or they notice a staircase that has been boarded up for decades. They pull away the boards, push open a door, and discover an entire room that they never knew existed.

What happens next is almost always the same. There is that moment of shock followed by excitement: “What is in there?”

They grab a flashlight and begin exploring. What was once hidden is now a new part of their own home, one they didn't even know they had!

Recently, I watched a video by Roger Evernden discussing the idea of discovering your “many selves.” Now, don't get me wrong, this isn't about embracing some form of schizophrenia. Rather, it is about discovering aspects of ourselves that perhaps we have never allowed ourselves to explore.

Just like that hidden room in the house, there may be parts of us that remain unexplored because of past experiences, disappointments, fear, or simply the business of life.

Ask yourself: Could there be rooms in your life that God has given you that you have never opened?

The Bible tells us that God has uniquely gifted each of us.

Paul writes in Romans 12:6  “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us”

1 Peter 4:10 says;  “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others.”

Notice that Peter says “whatever gift you have received.” Meaning that in everyone of us, God has placed something amazing within you!

Perhaps there is an ability you have never discovered. A passion you have never pursued. A capacity to encourage, teach, lead, create, organize, serve, write, speak, build, or care for others that has been sitting quietly behind a door you never thought to open.

Could it be that there are gifts from God in your life that you have never opened?

Sometimes we close those doors ourselves. We tell ourselves, “I'm not good enough,” “I could never do that,” “That's just not who I am,” or “I'm too old.”

Sometimes we have allowed other people to close the doors for us through criticism, disappointment, or words that we carry for years.

But the truth is, God may see something in you that you have never seen in yourself.

Think of Moses. When God called him, Moses immediately focused on his limitations. He questioned his ability to speak and his ability to lead.

Yet God responded to him in Exodus 4:12; “Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”

God was calling Moses to open a door he had never imagined walking through.  Paul gave Timothy a similar challenge in 1 Timothy 1:6; “Fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you.”

Timothy already had the gift. He simply needed to develop it and put it to use.

What if there is something in you that God is waiting for you to discover?  Maybe it's time to explore a room you've never entered.

Ask God: “What have You placed inside me that I have never discovered?”  “What ability have I overlooked?” “What passion have I buried?”  “Where could You use me that I've never considered?”

Ephesians 2:10 reminds us that we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works that He prepared for us.

There can be tremendous excitement when we discover something God-given that we never knew we possessed. When this happens, it’s like finding a hidden room in your own house, except this discovery isn't about the walls around you, it's about what God has placed within you!

So this week, take a walk through the “house” of your life. Look behind a few doors.

Try something you've never tried. Serve somewhere you've never served. Develop an ability you've neglected. Follow a godly curiosity. Step outside your comfort zone.

And as you do, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any part of your life that has been knowingly or unknowingly boarded up. A gift, a passion, an ability, or even a calling that has been left unexplored. Ask Him to remove whatever has kept that door closed and give you the courage to step into what He has placed within you. You may be surprised by what you discover.  There may be a room in your life you've never opened.

So here is the question I want you to wrestle with this week: What door in your life might God be asking you to open and what will you do if you discover something wonderful waiting on the other side?

Have a great week and we’ll see you Sunday!

Pastor Dan