No Secrets

     Can you keep a secret? Chances are you already do – more than you care to admit!

     “Now hold it right there for just a minute!  How do you know whether or not I keep secrets?”

     That’s a fair question.  Let me answer with the words of Colombian novelist Gabriel García Márquez: “All human beings have three lives: public, private and secret.”

     In public we cultivate the image of self we want others to believe is true.  Generous. Kind.  Talented.  Family man.  Successful woman. Whatever we think others will like.

     In private we “let our hair down.”  We become the person with whom we’re comfortable.  Only our family or closest friends see this person.  Some parts of this self make us ashamed.  So we guard it closely, afraid others won’t like us if they know the truth.

     Then there’s our secret life.  The self we become when we think no one sees us.  The self of our daydreams and fantasies.  James Thurber famously portrayed this unseen side of life in his classic book, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.” 

    Mitty was a meek, mild-mannered man dominated by others.  But in his daydreams he was a fierce, courageous hero’s hero – the man he so desperately wanted to be.

     What we are in the secret playground of our minds is the self we want to be.  And while we may keep our secrets safe from others, we cannot keep them from God.

     The Bible teaches us that one day “God will judge men’s secrets.”  It adds, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

     Accountability is a troubling thought to modern minds.  We fancy ourselves free to do what we please without unpleasant consequences. 

     But the beauty of the Bible is that it presents us with unvarnished truth.

     God’s Word says, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows.  The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please God, from God will reap eternal life.”

     Such truth pains our conscience.  Why?  Because we know God is ultimately right.

     What makes the Bible unique is its uncanny ability to reveal who we really are.  Its truth “judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

     Once we admit our shortcomings and humbly approach God in prayer, we find that “we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

     God is not the angry scorekeeper some imagine.  Instead of sternly looking for people to punish, God offers forgiveness and a fresh start to everyone through faith in Jesus Christ.

     The God of the Bible is the God of second chances in this life.  And the best part is he welcomes all that seek him.  You don’t have to come from a certain nationality or a particular religion.  Jesus said, “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away.”

     Speaking of himself, Jesus added, “Everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him, shall have eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day.”

     It is no secret what God can do in a person’s life through faith in Christ.  So bring your secrets to God.  He’ll love you, forgive you and transform you into the person you always wanted to be.  

     Then you can be the same person all the time.  No more secrets. As God’s child, you have nothing to prove and nothing to lose because you’re loved and accepted for who you really are.

     Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!