Finding Freedom Through the Discipline of Secrecy

you can be at home in The Fellowship of the heavenly father who loves you as you learned the secret of the easy yoke to effortlessly do what Jesus would do if Jesus was you if he was in your place by arranging your life as I arranged my life around those activities and rhythms that Jesus and himself practiced to be constantly at home with and receiving power from his Heavenly Father [00:00:12]

we abstain from causing our good deeds and qualities to be known what we're abstaining from here is refraining from making sure people know what a good boy I am and what impressive things that I have done we may even take steps to prevent them from being known if it doesn't involve the seat to help us lose or tame the hunger for fame justification or just the mere attention of others look at me look at me [00:01:49]

in the practice of secrecy we experience a continuing relationship with God independent of the opinions of others that's why there is great freedom in this as is always the case of spiritual disciplines and then Dallas Willard gives a quote and it's from Thomas the campus who written a long time ago so the language is quite archaic but it is so rich I want to read it and invite you to just dwell in the words [00:02:56]

why would I engage in this practice of secrecy well I do it to be free in particular from approval addiction I do it to be free of the need for impression management to make sure that I am in control of how you look at me and what you think about me I don't know if you know about the Enneagram I am what's called a three on the Enneagram and that's the kind of person who wants to achieve and wants to accomplish and there can be real good parts to that but when it's unhealthy then I live for the empty shell of the image that I convey to you [00:04:17]

I cannot make myself free of approval addiction but I can engage and I practice that can help me grow towards that freedom and hear that practice is secrecy now Jesus talks about that in the sixth chapter of Matthew in the great Sermon on the Mount the examples that he uses they're just illustrative are When you pray and when you give and when you fast back in his day people could really impress others because they were deeply committed to his spiritual life and the practice of faith in Israel so those were attention boosters [00:05:38]

be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before people to be seen by them uh that's that desire to live for the idol of impression management and he says if you do that here's an idea do some really good stuff and don't let people know about it keep it a secret so when you pray instead of blowing it uh instead of letting everybody know about it telling everybody but when you give instead of blowing a trumpet and literally in his day folks who gave would sometimes send people in front of them to blow trumpets to advertise we'll have other ways of advertising our giving [00:06:17]

the reward that comes when I do a good thing in secret is freedom I am a little bit less enslaved to what you think about me and I can be present with you in confidence in joy and well-being and love you because I am free now if when I'm with you I make sure that I let you know what I've done to impress you then I lose that reward I lose that freedom and even though I might get you to do this I become a little bit more addicted to this and that's a miserable way in which to live take it from me I know [00:07:29]

here's a wonderful uh possibility that Dallas gives if you want to experience the flow of love as never before the next time you are in a competitive situation maybe at work or at school pray that the others around you will be more outstanding more praised more used of God than yourself really pull for them and rejoice for their successes is this hurting a little bit yet if Christians were universally to do this for each other the Earth would soon be filled with the knowledge of God's glory the discipline of secrecy can lead us into this sort of wonderful experience [00:08:39]

do something good and don't let other people know about it do somebody of a favor without their finding out that you did it um maybe you can clean somebody's house I know somebody that did this and they got in a little trouble for throwing away and rearranging stuff that they weren't supposed to um but it was a great Anonymous gift to give write somebody a note without letting them know that you're the one that said it give somebody a gift without letting them know that you're the one that gave it run an errand for somebody uh get something for somebody that you know that they will love and just leave it on their doorstep or on their desk without a note saying that you're the one that did it [00:09:25]

accomplish something just practice accomplish something and not telling people about it for me sometimes this involves the biting of a lip until the blood flows that's all right um do something well uh and then don't brag about it this is the practice of secrecy and it brings great freedom and if this one isn't for you we'll have another one tomorrow [00:10:49]

Thou Art not the Holier a campus wrote though thou be praised nor the more vile though thou be blamed or dispraised what Thou Art Thou Art what thou art that what you are you are and that God knows you to be and you can be said to me no greater for a man ever to do well and to think little of himself is a token of a Meek soul for a man not to wish to be comforted by any creature is a token of great Purity and inward Trust he that seeketh no outward witness for himself how great am I tell me he who doesn't do that it appears openly that he has committed himself all holy to God [00:03:10]

I used to think when he said that that you know God had a gold star he was going to give you but if somebody else sees you God pulls it back it's not that it's intrinsic to the way that we live and the way that character information takes place and this is part of spiritual reality life in the Kingdom [00:07:49]