Secret

The children’s message by the deaconess was about how some things are secrets, but we don’t want to keep Jesus a secret; we need to tell as many people as we can. My daughter and her husband were there, paying close attention with the rest of the congregation, as the deaconess paused and their 4 year old piped up, “My daddy has a secret!” The laughter was audible. From the side of the church came the pastor’s voice: “I’m available after the service if you want to talk about that!” More chuckles. The little sermon continued, and James returned to his parents. After church, they asked him what he meant about the secret. It turns out the day before he’d been helping his dad build their backyard swing set. He asked, “Daddy, why are you such a good swing set builder?” His dad answered, “The secret is to have the right tools and know how to use them.” So of course he shared!

There are several lessons within this story. When do you share a secret? Do you have the right “tools” for telling others about Jesus? Do you know how to use them? Why is it intimidating to talk about our faith? Maybe it’s because we think it’s all up to us, when actually it’s the Holy Spirit of God who does the work. We just report for duty and tell the truth.

You know how to talk with people; you do it all the time. You know when to speak up and when to shut up…most of the time, anyway. You can share a favorite recipe, a tip on how to keep your six-year-old content while you’re on the phone, the pitfalls of eating too much, and how to work out with results three times a week! So how hard can it be to share what Jesus means to you, why you’re a Christian? What your listener does with what you share is up to her. It’s a secret so worth sharing that there’s a reward in it for you. Jesus Himself said, “If I be lifted up I will draw all men unto me!”

In a sense, He meant to go give someone a lift by sharing who Jesus is! If you don’t, who will? And like the pastor’s offer in the church, Jesus promises to be available if you want to talk about that!