Secret Service

One of Jesus' teachings that has most impacted me over the past couple years is His teaching about secret service. Prior to this, regretfully, I preferred to do 'good works' that word would get around about! It's not that the immediate reward of a job well done was my primary aim in doing good, but it was a great perk. More recently, however, I've been convicted by one of the most exciting principles of Jesus' teaching. The Principle of Secret Service is simply that one of our missions, as Christians, is to find 'good works' that we can do covertly. Our service is best when it's directed away from those who can reward us and toward those who have no such means.

Jesus recognized that many 'good works' are essentially arrangements of the following order: "You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours." But He commissioned His servants to seek out backs that can't scratch back. This type of service is a secret from those who would or can return favors. But sometimes, I've found, the person most interested in rewarding me for good works is ME! How many times in my past have I rewarded myself for doing a good deed? And so Jesus also teaches me to not allow my left hand to know what my right hand is doing. This principle is practiced when secret service flows naturally out of a heart of love, unmotivated by personal increase.

When we find ways to serve that aren't rewarded on this earth by men or by self, we store up treasures in heaven. That's an exciting aspect of the secret service I speak of. Good deeds WILL be rewarded, no matter what. It's just a matter of where and when. We can do good deeds that get rewarded now, or we can do good deeds that get rewarded later. We can get rewards from men or rewards from God. Nothing against your gift giving abilities, but I'm more interested in unwrapping God's gifts! For the Father, who sees what is done is secret, will reward you.