One of my passions is making sports highlight reels. I love taking the best clips from my favorite players and matching them with music that fits their style. The hard part always comes at the beginning when I am sifting through hundreds of clips and deciding which ones are the best. When I am deep in the editing process, I am reminded how much the audience doesn’t see. They don’t see all the missed shots, the dropped passes, or the seemingly unimportant plays that didn’t make the cut. They only see the best moments that seem effortless, but in reality, those moments were a result of countless hours of preparation.
We live in a world today where it’s easy to compare our behind-the-scenes to someone else’s highlight reel. All the social media, success stories, and public recognition can make us feel like we’re falling behind, missing out, or not enough. But just like in sports, most of the real work of life happens in the practice, the discipline, and in the quiet, unseen effort. The daily grind.
In the Bible, Ruth’s story is a perfect example of unseen preparation. In Ruth chapter 2, she faithfully works in the fields, gleaning grain to provide for herself and her mother-in-law, Naomi. Her labor is quiet, repetitive, and unnoticed, yet God is using these ordinary moments to shape her character, test her faithfulness, and prepare her for a pivotal role in His plan. “So she went out, entered a field and began to glean behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she was working in a field belonging to Boaz” (Ruth 2:3). Even though Ruth’s work was unseen at the time, it set the stage for her later marriage to Boaz and her place in the lineage of Jesus.
Much of the work that matters most happens behind the scenes, in the mundane and unnoticed moments of life. Whether at work, at school, in relationships, or in personal growth, our quiet acts of faithfulness and integrity are shaping us in ways we may never see. Matthew 6:4 reminds us, “Your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” God notices our unseen faithfulness, our small daily efforts, and the character we build in ordinary moments.
So today, embrace the hidden work, trust God’s timing, and stay faithful in the everyday tasks that feel small. These ordinary moments, done with integrity, are forming the highlight reel of your life that God will use for His glory.
The Bigger Picture: Don’t judge your behind-the-scenes to someone else’s highlight reel.
The Bigger Picture 