I’ve Got a Secret
January 26, 2010 by aubrey
Filed under Devotionals
Do you have any secrets? I don’t mean of the bad sort, the kind that you’re ashamed of and would hate to get out. I mean something that, when it comes to mind, makes you feel warm inside, makes you smile. I mean a good secret.
Some things need to stay secret. Rizpah prayer groups have the motto, “What happens in Rizpah stays in Rizpah.” The ladies who meet for prayer are honest and transparent and vulnerable with one another, and need to know that what they share with their prayer partners will be kept in confidence. Sometimes my wife will say to me, “I can’t say anything about that,” and I know that’s because her information comes from her Rizpah group. That means Nancy has some secrets that she shares with others but not with me. That doesn’t bother me; in fact, I appreciate it. I’m glad she can keep a confidence and I’m glad she’s got friends she can have secrets with – as long as they’re of the good variety.
Nancy and I have our own secrets, things that we share with each other and no one else. Sometimes one of us will say to the other, “I want to tell you something but you can’t tell anyone.” Such secrets are good; it’s good to have a spouse with who you can share secrets. A good secret (and the ability to keep it) implies a least a couple of things:
1. Intimacy - Only close friends and lovers share secrets.
2. Trust - The more private or sensitive a matter is, the more trustworthy I must consider you before I’m willing to share it.
God loves a good secret. Moses said that “the secret things belong to the Lord our God” (Deut. 29:29).
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke of our Father who is “in secret” and who “sees in secret.” As much as I love and trust my wife, there are some things that God intends to be kept secret just between the two of us, Him and me. (And remember, I’m talking about good secrets, not bad ones. The bad ones, the things about which I am most ashamed, I certainly confide to Him alone.)
What are the things that God wants to be “our little secrets”? In Matthew 6:1-18 Jesus mentions three things:
deeds of mercy - giving, but not just financial or charitable giving; the Greek word ellemosyne involves much more than just giving money
prayer - Jesus talks about where to pray and what to say
fasting
Here is what I think Jesus is saying. “When you do something good, something righteous, don’t draw attention to it. Don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. That act of mercy is a secret you and your Father now share. When you pray, shut the door; that prayer is a secret you and your Father now share. When you fast, try not to look like it; that fast is a secret you and your Father now share.”
It seems that our Father loves these kinds of little secrets and wants to have them, a great many of them, with every one of His children. In this age of Facebook and other forms of social media, many seem to want to share everything, to have “secrets” with all their Facebook “friends” - with the result that they are no longer real secrets or real friends. Good secrets can be part of a healthy relationship with another person, and godly secrets are definitely part of a healthy relationship with the Lord. Don’t surrender to the temptation to turn your spiritual life into a Facebook page. Keep some secrets for just you and the Lord.
AAJ
Amy Johnson on Tue, 26th Jan 2010 2:21 am
This is wonderful! I am very encouraged by your thoughts and words. Caleb, your wonderful son, has actually taught me a lot about keeping “secrets”, whether they are between him and me or between the two of us and the Lord. He has shown me the importance of discretion, and I have found that the less I tell others about deeds or prayers, the more glory the Lord receives! I am all about building relationships with God and others; who knew that good secrets would be some of the blocks to do just that?
Amber Ward on Wed, 27th Jan 2010 4:46 am
This is really good and has made me think. You are so right and our Rizpah group cherishes the fact that “what is told in Rizpah, stays in Rizpah.” Thanks for sharing.
Jennifer on Mon, 15th Feb 2010 10:37 pm
This really spoke to me this morning. God has been showing me the importance of sharing some things with Him only. Sharing with a close confidant is also important, but those special times between God and I are showing me how to completely rely on Him.
Thanks for sharing Aubrey!