Liturgy for Life : WK 5 - WED

Secrecy

Matthew 6:1; 3-4 (ESV)
Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven… 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. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

The spiritual practice of secrecy is one of my favorites. I find it very fun to do. It enables us to experience what Jesus teaches in today's passage. As human beings, it seems too easy and natural for us to seek adoration and approval from others. If we aren’t careful, we can go through life chasing the addiction of approval from others, which can hinder us from experiencing God’s love and acceptance of us as His beloved.

The spiritual practice of secrecy helps us live for an audience of one. It helps us seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, rather than the less satisfying things associated with personal human empires. We don’t engage in this practice to seek God’s approval or to earn merit and favor from God. We already have it by His grace toward us revealed through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. We do it because we want to continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18)

The spiritual practice of secrecy is quite simple. Do something kind for someone else without them or anyone else knowing it was you who did it, except for God. It is a secret between you and God. No one else gets to know. This practice helps us in that it allows Jesus to train us to become less dependent on others for approval and acceptance, and to grow and learn how to rest in God’s love, approval, and acceptance alone. It helps us with our sometimes overinflated sense of self. It helps us develop a healthy sense of self that God created us with and desires for us.

1. How can you envision participating with Jesus in this spiritual exercise this week? Talk with Jesus about it and do it with Him. Plan it with Him.
2. Is this a practice you can see yourself engaging in ‘ritualistically?’ More than a once-in-a-while type of engagement…maybe putting it in your schedule once a month or a couple of times a month?
3. If you choose to practice this spiritual discipline, take time following the activity to reflect on it with Jesus and share your thoughts and feelings with Him, and listen for what His experience was like doing it with you.