Today, politicians' and celebrities' dirty little secrets don't stay secret very long.
In a world with 24-hour news programs and ambitious journalists, we end up knowing more about some people than we really care to. Supermarket tabloids and magazines also capitalize on the fact that people love to know "secrets" about others.
It may be surprising to learn that God loves "secrets" too, although the kind He likes is quite different from the kind most people do. Even though God knows all secrets about everyone, there are certain types of secrets He delights in knowing and remembering.
God wants our good deeds, prayers and fasting to primarily be done in secret. There may seem to be a contradiction between Matthew 5:16, where we are told to let our light shine before men that they may see our good works, and Matthew 6:1-4, where we are told to do our alms in secret. However, we can fulfill both scriptures without contradiction.
Our obedience to God and resulting good works will and should be seen by the world. When we are not lying, cheating, stealing, etc., but rather serving and giving to others, these things will not go unnoticed. This is how we let our light shine.
In Matthew 6:1-4, God addresses our motivation behind doing good deeds. We should not be doing them to impress or seek the glory of men, but instead to serve God and seek His glory.
There are works that we do that will be noticed by others and works that we do that will not be. In either case, we should not be sounding a trumpet to publicly proclaim our good deeds in pursuit of admiration and glory. God says if we do, we have already received our reward. But if we commit our works to God, the Father who sees in secret will reward us openly.
How many secrets does God know about you?
