SCRIPTURE:
1 “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.
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5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
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16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Matthew 6:1-4, 6:5-8, 6:16-18
OBSERVATION:
Is it good or bad to keep secrets? The Bible suggests that there are some good secrets we all should keep…
In His “Sermon on the Mount,” Jesus talks about three secrets we should keep––the secret of generosity, the secret of prayer, and the secret of fasting. When it comes to generosity, Jesus warns us, “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them [because] If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven” (Matt. 6:1). Why is this? Because if we boast about our righteousnes, we aren’t just doing good for the sake of God or for the sake of others; we’re doing it for the sake of ourselves. Here, Jesus makes it clear that God does not just care about “what” we do; He cares about the “how” as well. With God, Kingdom results without Kingdom methods does not yield Kingdom rewards.
Likewise, Jesus encourages us to pray in secret. Although prayer is meant to honor and glorify God, there are people who use prayer to honor and glorify themselves. These “hypocrites,” as Christ calls them, use prayer as a performance, expecting praise from others for their “holiness” and “devoutness.” However, Jesus makes it clear that the purpose of prayer is not to be seen by men; it is to be seen by God. He is not saying that we should never pray in public. Rather, He is saying that we should seek to pray in such a way that we seek to impress, honor, and catch the attention of no one else but God.
Lastly, Jesus encourages us to fast in secret. Similarly to generosity and prayer, Jesus reminds us that our self-seeking flesh can corrupt something good into something bad. In His day, there were people that when they fasted, they wanted to make sure that everyone knew they were fasting. They would dramatically express a sad, tired countenance and disfigure their faces so that people would see their suffering. But Jesus reminds us that practicing spiritual disciplines should not draw people to us; it should draw people to God.
For what is the common thread between all three of these secrets? It is our motive. It’s not simply what we are doing but why we are doing it. When we do good works, are we truly doing it to love God and love people, or are we doing them to love ourselves?
APPLICATION:
If you had the opportunity to make a huge Kingdom impact, but someone else would get the credit, would you still do it? Or would you only do it if people knew it was because you?
In the world, we are taught that we should be credited and recognized by man for our impact. But in the Kingdom, God encourages these acts to be done in secret. Why? Because God desires us to remain humble and pure in heart. As the people of God, we should be excited to make a difference regardless of recognition because we know that in doing so, we are enabling others to experience the love of God. And beyond seeking the approval of man, we should live for the approval of God alone.
Good works––generosity, prayer, and fasting––are things we should do for the sake of God. But due to our pride and our desire to be validated, our human nature causes us to pervert these practices for our personal gain. Jesus encourages us to keep these secrets not because He doesn’t want us to take credit for these good things; it’s because He desires us to reap God’s full blessing. For if honoring God is not enough of a sufficient reason to do good works, we will never reap the reward our souls are truly seeking.
In general, secrets aren’t good to keep, for as Jesus says in Luke 8:17, “there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.” However, when it comes to good works, secrets are best to keep.
Be good at keeping good secrets, and do good for the sake of God. For when you do, you will reap God’s full rewards.
PRAYER:
God,
Thank You for the blessing of being a blessing. Thank You, Lord, that You have given me more than I need, and in doing so, I get to bless others. I repent for the times I have not been good at keeping good secrets. Forgive me for stealing Your glory and for pushing You out of the spotlight, for it’s all about You. Lord Jesus, may you be glorified through our good works. May many experience Your love and come to know You as we give, pray, and fast, and may our actions bring Heaven down to Earth. We love You, Lord. Thank You for loving us.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
