Secret Service
Today is the second of three days during which we are striving to partner with God’s Spirit in transforming our relationships with people. During these three days we are focused specifically on service as a discipline or habit. When possible, we seek this service to be secret.
Richard Foster writes, “Of all the classical Spiritual Disciplines, service is the most conducive to the growth of humility…Nothing disciplines the inordinate desires of the flesh like service, and nothing transforms the desires of the flesh like serving in hiddenness. The flesh wines against service but screams against hidden service.”[i] The more we practice hidden acts of kindness and compassion for others, the more our flesh will cry out, kicking and screaming. It craves the attention and applause which can only come from public and advertised service. Persevering, however, in secret service will result in much transformation.
Secret service is, in the words of Dallas Willard, and act of trust: “Few things are more important in stabilizing our walk of faith than [secrecy]. In the practice of secrecy, we experience a continuing relationship with God independent of the opinions of others…Secrecy rightly practiced enables us to place our public relations department entirely in the hands of God…”[ii] Thus we want to trust God with our “public relations” and remember that his is the only opinion that matters.
James Bryan Smith argues that our struggle with secret service is rooted in a false narrative or story.[iii] Smith suggests that many of us tend to live by the following statement: “My value is determined by your assessment.” We hunger for other’s affirmation because it establishes our value. We believe there is no other way to determine our value other than what people say about us. Thus we serve—but we serve in ways that bring attention to ourselves. What is needed, Smith writes, is a new narrative. Something like this: “My value is determined by God’s assessment.” Because God’s view of me is the only one that matters, I can now live for an audience of one. My worth is not dependant on what others think of you. Thus I am free now to serve, and to serve secretly.
Self-Righteous Service
Richard Foster distinguishes true service from self-righteous service.[iv]
- Self-righteous service is concerned with the “big deal” and wants to engage in service that is titanic. True service will act in both big and small ways.
- Self-righteous service requires external rewards. It needs to know the service is appreciated and applauded. True service is content with hidden and secret service.
- Self-righteous service is highly concerned about results. True service shows compassion regardless of results.
- Self-righteous service chooses who to serve. True service is indiscriminate.
- Self-righteous service depends upon moods—serving only when you feel like it. True service ministers regardless of mood.
Thus, during these three days we want to focus on secret and true service.
Take ten minutes today to practice at least one act of true service for another person.
[i] Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline Revised and Expanded (Harper & Row, 1978), 130.
[ii] Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines (HarperSanFrancisco, 1988), 172-173.
[iii] James Bryan Smith, The Good and Beautiful Character.
[iv] Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline Revised and Expanded (Harper & Row, 1978), 128-129.
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