Matthew 6:3-4 But when you give alms, do not let your left
hand know what your right hand is doing, that your alms may be in secret and
your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
Matthew 6:6 But you, when you pray, go into your inner room,
and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your
Father who sees in secret will repay you.
Matthew 6:17-18 But you, when you fast, anoint your head,
and wash your face so that you may not be seen fasting by men, but by your
Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
My husband asked me with a chuckle the other day, “What ever
happened to the personal journal? No one ever sits down and scribbles ‘Dear
Diary’ into a notebook anymore. Everything is out on the internet for everyone
to see!” He’s right. About 5 years ago, my habit of keeping a weekly journal to
record my thoughts, the things God was teaching me, and the prayers He was
answering, was replaced by almost daily posts on Facebook. No longer was my
self-reflecting personal, or an intimate conversation between myself and my
Creator. Instead, I found myself wanting, even needing, “likes” for the things I
was learning, and affirmation for my spiritual growth. And while the things we
post on Facebook and the thoughts we tweet may serve in some way to edify the
Body, the impulse to be known and affirmed by a wide audience is not necessarily
part of our calling in Christ. Beyond social media, I find myself now wanting,
even needing affirmation at work, church, and the home for the ways I
serve.
Have you ever heard the question: “If a tree falls in a
forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?” How about, “If
Amanda is blessed by God with a positive experience or new insight, and no one
else knows about it, does the experience even matter?” Do I require affirmation
and praise from others in order to experience fullness of life in Christ? The
answer should be, “NO!” In fact, Jonathan Martin, a pastor in Charlotte, has this to say about what it
means to experience real depth in our relationship with Christ:
“In our culture
of constant access and nonstop media, nothing feels more like a curse from God
than time in the wilderness. To be obscure, to be off the beaten path, to be in
the wilderness feels like abandonment. It seems more like exile than a vacation.
To be so far off of everyone’s radar that the world might forget about us for a
while? That’s almost akin to death…[But] far from being punishment, judgment, or
a curse, the wilderness is a gift. It’s where we can experience the primal
delight of being fully known and delighted in by God.”
The call to the Christian life is often a call to the
wilderness, to lack of recognition, to giving ALL credit to God as the source of
our growth in righteousness. He is a Father who sees in secret, and a God who
looks at the heart, rather than a post on a social media site. There’s a time
for sharing, and a time for silence. Wisdom is knowing the difference and
having the humility to sometimes choose obscurity.
Amanda Opelt
Perfectly said! Thanks, Amanda!!
ReplyDelete-Maggie