Platforms are tricky. Whether it’s a podcast, blog post, or speaking engagement, being a leader requires navigating the spotlight. Some leaders crave and seek it. Others despise it. Most fail to consider the cost of pursuing a larger platform, and typically don’t know what to do when it’s thrust upon them.
But platforms, of course, are not the enemy. They’re simply opportunities that can accelerate growth and change. The thing is, bigger and brighter is not always better. What the spotlight does to a leader’s soul often depends on the discipline we cultivate to balance obscurity with opportunity. And this is exactly where leaders need discernment.
How do we know when it’s best to step into a potential opportunity? And what about the opposite? When is it time to sink into intentional obscurity?
What the spotlight does to a leader’s soul often depends on the discipline we cultivate to balance obscurity with opportunity.
The Temptation of Elevation
At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry (Luke 4:1–13), the devil used various temptations to lure Jesus into compromise. Those temptations were as real for Jesus as they are for us. Part of the devil’s repeated, and therefore predictable, strategy was to get Jesus to prove his identity as God’s Son. Similarly, you may expect Satan to go after your identity in Christ, your position as a beloved son or daughter of God.
These temptations may come during your weakest moments, but they may also pepper your greatest opportunities. The enemy loves to tempt us toward proving our value and worth.
In two of the three temptations Jesus encountered, he was escorted to elevated platforms and offered the best the world could offer. The first platform was a “high mountain” (Luke 4:5 KJV). There, he was offered all the kingdoms of the world. If he had taken the bait, he could have gained instant position, power, and authority in the eyes of the world. The second platform was “the highest point of the temple” (Luke 4:9 NIV), where Jesus was tempted to perform an aerial stunt that would have certainly drawn a large crowd of followers.
Invite with Love Over Attention
The devil loves to invite leaders into situations and opportunities that make us visible to others. The deceitfulness of the human heart is revealed in the desire to perform for the sake of drawing attention to oneself. This was not the way Jesus invited others to follow him. Leaping from “the highest point of the temple” (Luke 4:9) would have attracted crowds, but not disciples. God’s way required something different.
Almost anyone can attract a crowd or gain a following by showcasing their unique talents and gifts. Jesus could have truly put on a show in that moment! Instead, his way of getting others to follow him was by loving them into the kingdom.
Lifting yourself to attract others is not loving; it is selfish. Genuine love for one another must begin by stripping away all attempts to elevate ourselves to platforms where we can be seen, applauded, or gain benefits from an audience.
Almost anyone can attract a crowd or gain a following by showcasing their unique talents and gifts.
While opportunities may increase a leader’s visibility, the temptations that go with them also multiply. The answer is never to attract or gain others’ approval by elevating ourselves. Jesus modeled that it’s the opposite—not throwing himself down to be exalted, but lowering himself by being raised on a cross. Jesus calls us to follow his way of humility, obscurity, and hiddenness.
While opportunities may increase a leader’s visibility, the temptations that go with them also multiply . . . Jesus calls us to follow his way of humility, obscurity, and hiddenness.
Intentional Obscurity
Ralph Moore taught me about intentional obscurity. Back in 2021, a group of ministry colleagues and I were meeting in Seattle for one of Exponential’s learning communities. Ralph was warm, yet unassuming and quiet. Rather than commanding the room, he looked a bit uncomfortable—as if he didn’t belong. So, when he was introduced as an expert on church planting and someone who had helped plant more than 2,600 churches worldwide, I was instantly confused.
“Why have I never heard of this guy?” I thought.
As he spoke, I kept wondering how someone with this much kingdom impact could slip under the public radar.
“Who else is living this way?” I wondered.
I think this type of person is difficult to find for a reason: They are content to remain hidden.
It’s easy to find examples of leaders who were not ready for increased visibility. They were either unprepared for instant success and fame when it dropped in their laps, or they were sucked into it over time by the seductive thrill of seeking attention and applause. It is far more difficult to find those who are leading from a place of humility and hiddenness over the long haul.
The Discipline of Obscurity
Jesus warned his original disciples “not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them” (Matthew 6:1). Church history reflects examples of Jesus followers who took his teaching to heart. To a fairly extreme level, ascetics and monastics have pursued this kind of life through vows of silence or seclusion. Others have sought to balance both private and public practice in ways that have proved fruitful.
Author and theology professor R. Lucas Stamps provides a clarifying definition: “To pursue obscurity is simply to resist the magnetic pull of self-promotion and platform building and ‘influence’ that plagues so much of the contemporary culture, including the contemporary Christian culture.”1
This definition is helpful because it resists imposing guilt on those of us who find ourselves in positions of public influence, where total obscurity is impossible. While there may be seasons when we practice the discipline of hiddenness and secrecy with greater intensity, the idea of “pursuing obscurity”2 allows for a degree of balance, as leaders do naturally require interaction with public settings.
So, what does faithful hiddenness look like?
Obscurity and Opportunity Together
Distinguishing between increased opportunity and intentional obscurity—and discerning to which you are called in any given season—can sometimes feel daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Allow me to offer a few simple ways to cultivate obscurity when opportunity comes knocking.
1. Discover the joy of holding a secret with God. The next time the Holy Spirit downloads some amazing insight from Scripture, ask the Lord if he wants you to keep it confidential for a season (Psalm 25:14). Resist the urge to immediately post your insight online or use it in your next sermon. Invite the Spirit to work his truth into your heart first, where intimacy can grow. Sometimes, if we give away what the Spirit reveals too quickly, then we become tempted to use God’s word as a platform for our egos.
2. Before saying yes to the next job offer, speaking engagement, or podcast invite, ask the Lord if it’s for his name’s sake or yours. “He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake” (Psalm 23:3). How do we know if a path or opportunity is the right one? We must determine who will get the glory. Resist paths where your name will outshine the name of Jesus.
3. Find ways to shrink your expectations as opportunities expand. Success often leads to unexpected perks. Individuals will kindly offer to let you use their lake house or hand out free tickets to the “big game.” While this sounds harmless and can often be a wonderful blessing, don’t get into the habit of accepting every offer. Guard your heart against the subtle development of entitlement. If you are careful, you may train your soul to handle greater opportunities when they arrive.
4. Retreat often into solitude—seek places where no one is watching. The rhythm of leadership and ministry that Jesus modeled is platform-retreat-platform-retreat. Whenever ministry got crowded, Jesus sought to be alone with his Father (Mark 1:35–39). His cycle of retreat helped him resist the temptations that came from growing opportunities.
Do you have an intentional rhythm for your soul care? For additional ideas, check out these articles: Nature as Soul Care and Silence and Solitude.
Make it a top priority to find a place where you can simply be a son or daughter in the Father’s presence.
May the Lord make you fruitful to the glory of his name.
More Resources to Explore:
Burns, E.D. Great Commission Spirituality: Abiding in Christ, Serving in Obscurity. Littleton: William Carey Publishing, 2024.
Howard, Stephen. “Serving Jesus in Obscurity.” The Center for Faith and Culture. November 13, 2023. https://cfc.sebts.edu/faith-and-work/serving-jesus-in-obscurity/.
Stamps, Luke. “St Matthias: Patron Saint of Obscurity.” Biblical Reasoning. May 14, 2024. https://secundumscripturas.com/2024/05/14/st-matthias-patron-saint-of-obscurity/.
- R. Lucas Stamps, “Pursue Obscurity,” Mere Orthodoxy, (November 30, 2022) mereorthodoxy.com/pursue-obscurity/. ↩︎
- This phrase originates with Craig Bartholomew. ↩︎
