Secrets Revealed

Matthew 6:3-4, 6 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. 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.

My husband became a Christian when he was 40 years old. Having lived so long without the joy of Christ in his life, he was like a sponge soaking up every bit of the Word he could both by reading it for himself and listening to it being preached on the radio. It was a great joy to listen to his child-like faith expressed as he led our family in the simplest, most heart-felt prayers.

As his faith grew, his priorities, habits and temperament changed dramatically. There was this one area though, that was more difficult for him to let go of - our finances. Scott was practically born a good money manager. He began earning money in early elementary by selling his parents the pictures he colored for them and opened his first account, saving all his wages. Naturally, it was difficult for him to recognize that even in our areas of strength, God wants to reign as King. As Scott began to learn that everything we have God owns and we are merely his managers, his perspective on money changed as well.

Around this same time, our family, then just four of us, went through our first big trial which would test in our lives the principle of whether we loved God or money more. The nature of this trial was such that it affected every one of us, perhaps the children even more significantly than the adults. I was discussing all of this with our kids one afternoon when Hayleigh piped up with, "Mommy, what we really need to do is ask Daddy to pray. God always answers his prayers." Our children had witnessed for themselves the power behind sincere prayer.

This morning, I am reading Acts 10:1-23. In the town of Caesarea there lives a Gentile, named Cornelius, who apparently had converted to the Jewish faith. He is described as man who is both devout and God-fearing (Verse 2). This section of scripture lists two proofs of his faith, generosity and prayer. As I thought through these proofs, I realized often these are two areas people struggle in. I know I certainly have. Part of what makes these difficult to measure is that giving to others and praying to God are done in secret. No one really knows how much you make and definitely not how much you give away of what you make. No one is privy to the private conversations with God and have now real idea of the frequency or duration of these conversations.

What is done in secret for and with only an audience of One is seen in public in the fruit of our lives. Cornelius' love for God was evident to others. Directed by an angel, Cornelius sends some of his men to invite Peter for a visit (Verses 3-8). When his men arrive, they describe Cornelius as being respected by all the Jewish people (Verse 22). The relationship Cornelius has developed in secret with God, had overflowed into his relationships with everyone around him.

Today, I know Jesus is asking me to examine my secret time with Him. Will my overflow be a river or a trickle? With certainty, the tide of my overflow will rise or fall in direct proportion to how much time I spend with Him. Today, I will open the floodgates.