Secrets
Added 1/15/2009
Posted by Doug Seletzky at 1:15:04 PM

     

  I was thinking about secrets this morning.  I was thinking how the things that Jesus and scripture says to keep secret are the things I want to talk about and the things that the Bible says to talk about (confess) are the things I want to keep secret.

We keep secrets for numerous reasons some good and some not so good.  If someone tells me something in confidence and I keep it secret that’s good.  Actually when someone tells me something, a confession or in counseling situation, I try to see it as if they have giving me something of theirs to hold. What I have is not mine to give away.  Yet there are bad secrets.  You know the kind that injure relationships.  The kind that are like festering sores that need to be opened for healing and growth.  Bernie  Madoff comes to mind.  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/15/business/15bail.html?scp=3&sq=madoff%20victims&st=Search  His secrets hurt many, but I’m sure you can think of others.

Why do we keep secrets?  On the negative side I think it can be reduced to things like greed, fear, and pride.  On the positive side it must be love.   

Now here is what is cool about Jesus’ take on secrets.  In Matthew 6:6   Jesus says, “But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”  He’s talking to people who like to tell others about how much they pray and are using their prayers to show everybody how spiritual they are.  It would be easy to judge them, but haven’t you ever told someone how much you exercise, or weight you lost, or class rank or how well you did in sports or even how well your kids are doing because you really wanted them to think better of you?   Jesus is saying the things that stroke our ego for ego sake keep to yourself.  Make them a secret.  Jesus knows our hearts. He knows that even the stuff we do to nurture and grow in our connection with Him will become a hindrance when we use it to build our spiritual resume in the eyes of others.

A clear evidence of the working of the Holy Spirit is that the things we naturally want to keep secret we tell (confess James 5:16) and the things we naturally want to tell we keep secret.

What do you think?



 

 
 

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