Your Father in Secret

Jesus described God as "our Father who is in secret." Isn't that a fascinating description? It makes sense of why he would spend so much time on obscure people, and be interested with the mundane things of our lives. I think that explains why he does not seem to bother with celebrities or kings, and spends so much grace on the poor and meek.

If you are like me, you have been really discouraged to see public Christians like Joshua Harris and Marty Sampson taking to Instagram to talk about how they are denouncing the faith, or on shaky ground. I am really sorry for these guys and those who follow them.

Maybe part of the problem is that God shies away from the limelight. He prefers to stay in secret, and if we want to be with him we need to go to the secret place. I don't know those guys, and I'm not trying to criticize them or diagnose them. But I do think there is a lesson here for all of us.

When our faith is only lived out in front of others, then the respect and love of others is all we get for it. Jesus tells us that we meet the Father in secret, away from the crowds, away from Facebook and Instagram. In secret is where God reminds us of His love for us, in secret he reaffirms our identity as sons and daughters of God, and in secret he tells us we will be okay.

If you feel tempted to walk away, or feel your faith is on shaky ground, please obey Jesus' words and go to the secret place. I know it is tempting to cry out on Facebook for help so you can be affirmed, but I don't think it is our affirmation you need. You need to hear from your Father in secret.