Secret-Keeping
By Susan Klein
“But 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. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Matthew 6:3-4
I listened to a lady on the radio this morning who called in to share the secret thing she had done for her husband. She was so excited about how her good deed had turned out that she just had to share it with someone. The radio announcers praised her for her thoughtfulness and complimented her on pulling off the surprise. While what she did was indeed kind, she received her reward from them: their praise. I started to wonder... “What kind of reward might she have missed out on from her heavenly Father?”By Susan Klein
“But 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. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Matthew 6:3-4
In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus teaches about three things we should do “in secret”: giving, praying and fasting. He is encouraging benevolence and humility, while warning against ostentation and hypocrisy. He says that when we do these things visibly and intentionally for all to see, we will receive our just reward from them (verses 1-2). But, when we do them in secret, so that only our Father sees what we are doing, He will be the One to reward us. In essence, we are rewarded by the person whose praise we seek. So, that being true, could we be missing out on some heavenly rewarding by seeking earthly praises?
While many of our actions will undoubtedly be noticed by others, that should not be the driving force or motive of our good deeds. 1 Samuel 16:7b says, “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” God knows our motives and our thoughts like no one else does! He knows when we are giving, or helping, or praying to seek His glory, or when we are doing it for the praises of men.
A comforting fact is that He even knows when we are overlooked, forgotten or taken for granted in our kindness to others. He really doesn’t miss a thing! And these are the times, the times when we are not acknowledged or when our good deeds go unnoticed, that He can choose to really reward us! And His rewards are incomparable to any earthly prize!
Let’s check our actions at the door and try a little secret-keeping!
GOING DEEPER:
1. Which, if any, of your actions might be prompted by your desire to be recognized by others?
2. How can you safeguard yourself against becoming like the hypocrites Jesus speaks of in these verses in Matthew?
FURTHER READING:
Matthew 6:5-6, 16-21; Colossians 3:23-24
Susan is a wife and mother of two. She is the Coordinator of Oakwood’s Tuesday a.m. Bible Study and one of its teachers.
