Secret
A secret is something not known or meant to be known by others. I think probably everyone has secrets that they keep from someone else. There are secret actions and secret thoughts. There are things you find out about someone else that you must keep secret. There are secrets shared with you in confidence that you should hold and keep.
Jesus speaks about being secretive about giving, praying and fasting. These are three strong disciplines of faith that were not meant to be celebrated; they are meant to reflect a deep devotion to the Lord. The Pharisees and religious leaders were doing all of this publicly and many more “pious acts” simply to be noticed. Jesus speaks directly to this type of behavior. Check this out…
“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:1-4 NIV)Jesus was speaking to giving, praying, fasting and serving behind the scenes. The “Audience of ONE” is the only Person who should take note of the kind things I’ve done. If my giving, praying, fasting and serving is done to wow others, then I’ve received my “temporary” reward. I really want an eternal reward. The Lord knows my heart – He knows my motive when I give, pray, fast and serve. He is the ONE Who will hold me accountable for my heart.
He also knows my secret sin – my thoughts, actions and addictions that no one else sees. He’s like that show “Person of Interest” – He doesn’t miss a scene. He sees everything and He’s everywhere. My secrets are not secrets to Him at all. The amazing thing is that His Grace and Mercy covers my secret sins and also my public sins. His Grace is simply too amazing to understand or comprehend, but I’m sooooooo grateful for it. His Grace and Mercy motivate to live for Him and serve Him secretly and live for Him out in the open!
Pressing On! Dwayne