Secrecy

The devotion for today talks about secrecy in two different ways: the good and the bad. Both of these are important to keep secret at times.

People have a tendency to want to shout out all the good things that they have done. We will regale our peers with tales of what we have done or the volunteer work we were a part of. It's not bad to be proud of Christian service, but we must remember that Jesus said "When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret." When we serve, it is in service to our King -- not for our own benefit or glory, but to the glory of the Father. Jesus said that we will be rewarded in heaven when we do good deeds in secret.

The other side of this is confidentiality. There are some things that we just shouldn't talk about in public; but there are also times when someone tells us something that we should not repeat. We must refrain from gossip and slander. Secrecy allows people to be at ease and comfortable with being honest and open. We should respect that.


Reflection Questions

Q: What is it like for you to keep secrets or maintain confidences?
A: It feels good to know that I can be trusted and also that when God blesses me, he knows that I won't brag (usually) or claim it for myself -- which opens me up to receive much more.

Q: How might the discipline of secrecy address an addiction to approval and image management?
A: Keeping myself from telling everyone "what I've done" will help me to be joyous in the image that God has of me as his son rather than worrying about whether I am impressing those around me.