Introduction
In this article, you will learn how to do the spiritual limbo. Like the popular party game, it’s all about seeing how low can you go? Instead of winning party favors, the spiritual version is all about winning favor with God. What you will need is a desire to experience more of God in your life and a willingness to do whatever it takes to make that happen. The path isn’t for the faint-of-heart. But, if you’re willing to make the journey, the reward can be exceptional.

Let me begin with a personal story to set some context for this discussion. In the 90’s, my career was taking off. I was writing for several technology magazines. I was producing television shows on technology. I was working with executives of many of the largest technology firms in the world. I was traveling throughout Silicon Valley working with key engineers and scientists who were inventing the technologies that were driving the Internet and other emerging technologies. I was architecting and building out global communication systems that managed satellites and internet servers around the world. I developed a reputation as a technology miracle worker. When others said it couldn’t be done, I found a way to pull it off. I lived a jet-set lifestyle rubbing shoulders with billionaires and making lots of money in the dotcom era. There seemed to be no end to the possibilities of where it might all lead.

Then, I was put in a situation where I had to make a decision between continuing the advancement of my career and prioritizing the needs of my family. I chose the latter. Instead of living in the heart of Silicon Valley, I moved to a rural farming community in Southwest Missouri. Immediately, the phone stopped ringing and the invitations subsided. The lights and glamor faded away and I was left in obscurity in a place where no one knew my name or reputation.

Yet, I never doubted that this turn of events was the handiwork of God. From the beginning, God’s fingerprints were all over it. I went into a season of intense training and discipleship that would drastically alter the course of my life. It became a season of hiddenness that continues to this day, well over a decade later.

In the intervening years, I made small efforts to get back onto the speaking tour, to publish more writings and to reengage old constituents to no avail. It felt like God wouldn’t allow me to rebuild my career or reputation. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t seem to break free of this shield of invisibility. It was as if God was countering my every attempt to rebuild some form of notoriety.

With time, it became apparent how all these events were all part of God’s redemptive plan for my life. He exposed the vanity of being known by man. He took me through a process of getting to know Him and His character. It became clear just how empty the pursuit of fame, influence and reputation were. Indeed, such pursuits go against the grain of God’s values.

As I’ve gotten to know Him, I’ve come to deeply appreciate and value His wisdom in choosing humility over all other options. If given the choice between notoriety and obscurity, I would now choose the latter. There is so much wisdom in cooperating with God’s plan and aligning with His character instead of fighting against it. When we make the same choices God makes, we get to enjoy the same benefits He enjoys.

Perhaps you too feel thwarted in your efforts to get ahead in man’s game for fame and a name. Maybe you feel frustrated that others are getting promoted ahead of you while your value and efforts have gone unnoticed. If you get a sense that God is working against your attempts to build a reputation, it’s likely that He is and that you would be wise to stop fighting against Him and start cooperating with His plans. Maybe it’s time that you learned how to do the spiritual limbo.