Daily Self Growth Journal Pt. IV

Secrets and Privacy

"Happiness and moral duty are inseparably connected." George Washington

For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. Luke 8:17

Nefarious: "flagrantly wicked or impious" Merriam-Webster Dictionary

What we do behind closed doors is not a secret! Nope, it's not. And many of us right now are thinking. Well, ya they are. At least I can make them a secret. Nope, you can't. God said to the Israelites that if they didn't follow His commands to, "Be sure your sin will find you out." Numbers 32:23b That's kind of scary. At least it is for me. However, it speaks of the reality that God can see everything we do. And He takes account for our actions. What's more, more often than not, the things we are so desperately trying to keep a secret will be found out by people too. Secrets are hard to keep. Just ask any government. People love to know secrets. Then they love to let people know that they know a secret. Thereby secrets are destroyed. And really, the things we try to keep absolutely private, are the secrets we keep in our lives. Now there is a difference between privacy and secrecy I know. People know what's going in most homes. And most of the time that's something that should remain private. But at the same time, I think we would all agree that there should be very few secrets in a home. I think we'd all agree that secrets are often an indicator of nefarious actions. Unless of course they are for the purpose of protecting innocence. Right now the internet and it's involvement in our lives is growing exponentially daily. So one of the things we hear about all the time is our right to privacy on the web. We can talk about our right to electronic privacy all day long. The reality is that we have none. If we think we are being secret and private on the internet. Well, we're just wrong. Sure, no one else may ever see what we do on the web. But if that's the case, we're just lucky. And there's one thing for certain. God still sees everything we do. Whether it's in reality or cyberspace. And remember when I said He holds account for everything we do? Let's thank Him that He's already accounted for our sins and our secrets on the cross. Let's thank Him that He understands the temptations we struggle with. The Bible says in Hebrews 4:15, "For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have One who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin." That High Priest is Jesus. He knows what it was like to be tempted by the desire for wealth and fame. He knows what it was like to be tempted by sex and objects. And He is the only person who has ever resisted every temptation set before them. And yet He died for sin. Thank God we don't have secrets. Thank God He knows everything we do. Because of that, and because of His desire to save us, He died for us a sinless man and a perfect God.

Daily Journaling Questions:

1. How did I help someone in kindness today?

2. What did I learn today?

3. What am I thankful for?

4. Who did I love today?

5. What am I dreaming of?

6. What about today do I want to remember forever?

7. What are my goals for tomorrow?

Thanks for reading,

Jake