Secret
Hope you had a good Christmas, and not suffering after too much food and drink! It is always a weird time between Christmas and New Year, quite rightly called ‘Crimbo Limbo’.
This year our family decided to do ‘Secret Santa’. To give it a bit of a twist, our (grown up) children thought it would be fun to pick a colour to go with the name.
I was allocated our eldest son and the colour purple. ‘What on earth can I get him that is purple’, I thought to myself. Then I remembered that Cadbury’s main colour is purple… I was sorted!
The ‘Secret Santa’ was a brilliant success. We all had fun thinking of creative gifts for one another. As I was reflecting on this, I was reminded of a couple of secret things in the Bible. They can be found in the book of Matthew, in the New Testament…
“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.
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.”
This is part of Jesus’ great speech called ‘The Sermon on the Mount’. Here Jesus names two specific secret things: Giving to the needy and Prayer.
The context implies that people were already giving and praying, so what is Jesus after? I believe it’s the heart motivation. This is also a secret thing, only known to us and God alone.
In other words, God is more concerned about what goes on in us internally, as that will be outworked in what we do, and our personal relationship with Him.
Over the years, we have been blessed by receiving anonymous financial gifts. These have often come at a significant moment. When we have been aware of some needs, we have given money secretly as well, posting cash in an envelope through the letterbox!
My own ‘secret life’ with God is a combination of prayer, reading and meditating on the Bible and listening to God. I do this in a variety of ways that really works for me.
As we come to the end of one year and approach a new one, let me encourage you to ponder these two secret things: Giving and Prayer.
Be attentive to God, as He may be highlighting someone that you may be able to help financially in a secret way.
He may also be directing you to pray about certain things/situations in the world. He may even be calling you back to Himself, to know Him personally, or to go deeper, in the secret place, just you and Him.
God bless you :)
Gary Bastin - Hope Community Church leader