What do you think of when you hear the phrase, “Behind the Scenes”? If you are like me, my mind goes to all the work that gets done out of public view, for the making of a movie or production. Often we give very little thought to all this work, when we find our seats and take in the Presentation. But the work that goes into a movie or production is always like an iceberg—90% behind the scenes and 10% what we end up actually seeing in the theatre.
This reminds me of what happens in real life. It seems like 90% is part of The Unseen World and 10% is actually what we are Observing. Interestingly, in Jesus’ teaching he often talked about the unseen Kingdom of God and taught using Parables. When Jesus was asked why he taught this way, he responded “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.” (Matt. 13:13). When you read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the Bible, you see how it was those with inquiring minds that after hearing Jesus teach would ask key questions and often experienced a revelation of what Jesus was really talking about. In turn, they started grasping what was happening behind the scenes.
It hasn’t changed much, even though we have fast tracked about 2000 years. It’s those with the inquiring minds that take into account the 90% of what’s happening in “The Unseen World” when they evaluate the 10% of life happening around them. And it’s these people, who also respond to what’s happening with some action. Not that I nail this often enough, but there have been moments where I felt like I had a revelation of what was happening “Behind the Scenes” and actually responded accordingly.
THE UNSEEN SPIRITUAL WORLD
I remember nights when I have woken up from my sleep with a very real sense of fear and anxiety. Almost as if there was someone in the room that was causing me to feel afraid and anxious. When I was a young boy, fear and anxiety often gripped my heart and controlled me. But when these nights started happening as an adult, I slowly began to recognize that “Behind the Scenes” there was an evil presence at work. When I began to recognize this, more and more my first response was to pray. I began to understand that when I would pray, I could pray with boldness and because I am “In Christ”, as Paul teaches, I don’t have to be afraid, anxious or come under the control of any evil presence at work “Behind the Scenes”. When I have experienced this and have prayed, in time, the evil presence would leave and peace would fill my heart. As a man, husband, and dad, I have learned that I can fight best by praying when I feel the enemy of our souls is at work “Behind the Scenes” trying to bring fear, anxiety, and chaos.
THE UNSEEN PHYSIOLOGICAL WORLD
I have had days, weeks and months at times when I have just felt tired. Not sleeping well, a busy schedule, even fatigue and pain. I have found that when I get in these seasons of time, that I am not at my best. I don’t have the best attitude or thoughts, I don’t speak to people the way I should be speaking, I don’t act the way Jesus would want me to act. I get agitated by the 10% of what’s happening around me and I react to the situations. When I was younger, it was often during times like this that my temper would flare up and abnormal outbursts would happen taking people by surprise. As I have grown up, I have learned to recognize more what’s happening “Behind the Scenes”. When I get into that head space or find myself having stress reactions to people and situations, it triggers my “Behind the Scenes” awareness and I know I need to respond with some action. Instead of doing nothing, I’ll intentionally go to bed, sleep in (obviously when my kids weren’t little!), go off by myself, get out of town for the day, get away on vacation or whatever else I need to do to get rested. I realized that though others found my responses abnormal (like going to bed really early or just making plans to get away by myself), I knew that if I didn’t do something, I was going to say or do things that I would later regret and have to make right. Now I watch for these triggers as “Behind the Scenes” cues that it’s time to get away and get some rest.
THE UNSEEN PSYCHOLOGICAL WORLD
“The more I experienced this, the more I began to learn what was happening “Behind the Scenes” and the less often I reacted to the situations. I learned to control my thoughts, not letting the worst case scenario thoughts take over.”
The mind and emotions are interesting things. We have experiences every day that trigger thoughts and cause emotional responses. I have had thoughts go through my mind that I wondered, where did that come from? and I have had emotional responses that caught we off guard causing me to ask myself, why am I feeling this way? When my kids were in the adolescent and youth stages, I began to recognize that their minds and emotions might be all over the place at times. This “Behind the Scenes” activity happening in their minds and with their emotions, often influenced my thoughts and triggered emotional reactions from me. The more I experienced this, the more I began to learn what was happening “Behind the Scenes” and the less often I reacted to the situations. I learned to control my thoughts, not letting the worst case scenario thoughts take over. And I learned to control my emotions and not “react” to the situations in ways I would later regret. This is still a work in progress all the time, and I still have negative thoughts and emotional reactions at times. But I’m understanding more and more how much is happening “Behind the Scenes” and how I need to think differently and not let my emotions determine my actions.
If we have begun relationship with Jesus, it seems we have a bit of an edge to understanding the unseen world, because of all the key elements of Faith which are going on “Behind the Scenes". Too often believers, my self included, don’t pay enough attention to what’s really going on “Behind the Scenes”. Instead of acting accordingly, we can tend to react, ignoring the unseen world. If we could make even a 10% increase in our awareness beyond the 10% that we are observing, we could live a little more like those Jesus was looking for—those who saw, heard and understood what was really happening “Behind the Scenes” in their lives and the lives of the people around them. What would it take for you and I to become one of those people and to recognize more often than not what’s happening “Behind the Scenes?”
—Written by Al Heath