Hidden Person of the Heart
“Do not let your adorning be external —the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear —but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.” ~ 1 Peter 3:3-4 (emphasis mine)
Recently, in my Bible study, I came across the passage above and the Holy Spirit whispered to my heart. I have read these two verses in context countless time. I have heard them taught and preached both responsibly and carelessly. Yet, this time, as I read them, this phrase, “the hidden person of the heart” hit differently.
I did a little digging and a lot of praying.
Who or what is this “hidden person of the heart?”
Perhaps it is my soul, the innermost part of who I am? Maybe it is where my thoughts originate and my emotions emanate? Is it the part of me that lives forever? Is this the part of me that Christ’s death ransomed and He is remaking in HIs image? Could it be where my childlike faith is found, simplistically deep and undiluted?
I am thinking that the answer to these questions is simple, that yes, this “person of the heart” is all of these things. It is the very core of every individual. It is who I am with all my masks off, with all the bravado gone, and with nothing else to hide behind. This “person of the heart” is vulnerable and exposed, because — What if I’m rejected? What if I’m ridiculed? What if I’m insufficient?
So, I have unintentionally learned to keep this person of the heart “hidden,” to protect myself. I have kept this person a secret out of self-defense and self-preservation because I’ve been marked and scarred by the traumas I’ve faced.
This person of the heart may have been shaped by lies I’ve believed told to me by people I trusted or even by Satan. As a result, over the years, I’ve put on masks, I’ve pretended to be something I’m not, I’ve concealed myself away.
Not wanting to risk the pain or the judgment of others, I often continue to hide this inner person of the heart. I will hide behind images of myself that I think others would approve of and/or appreciate. I will try to shape how others perceive me by how I wear my hair, my jewelry and my clothes. With God, I will try to hide behind good works and good morals. I will also hide from myself through mindless distractions (scrolling on my phone) that keep me too numb to own the hidden person within myself.
But God . . .
He sees all - the bruises and the scars. He knows all - the failures of my own faults and the injustices inflicted upon me by others. He knit together the “hidden person of the heart” when He created me. He recognizes the short comings of my person of the heart, yet, this is the part of me that He sent His Son to die for. He did so to establish a relationship WITH this version of me. He loves my hidden person of the heart.
My husband is the person who knows me most intimately a part from God. Wally may be able to read my mind at times, however he does not know my inner dialogue. Wally knows my fears, my favorites and my faults, however he is powerless to meet me in this space - This is a God-only shaped place where I can be completely me and I can experience life WITH my Creator.
Instead of trying to hide my inner person, Peter encourages me to adorn this hidden person with the “imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit.” Peter’s words echo Jesus’ own words in Matthew 11:29 when He describes Himself as “gentle and lowly in heart.” Peter tells us that this kind of adornment is “precious” or “valuable” in God’s sight. He sees this in me and God finds me “precious” and “valuable.”
This space inside of me, this hidden person of my heart is who God sees when He sees me. It is where I meet with Him in my quiet moments of peaceful reflection and in my violent moments of faithless doubt. It is where I confess my sins to Him and I am met with unspeakable mercies and incredible graces. It is where I can completely be myself and do life WITH Him.
