“O Lord, give us this day life within, and it will reveal itself without to thy glory.” – Charles H. Spurgeon
What a secret and beautiful being you are.
“Those things that are hidden are meant to be revealed, and what is concealed is meant to be brought out where its light can shine.”
– Mark 4:22 (The Voice)
On the previous page we learned about that divine dance between the Holy Spirit and your inner being, your spirit and soul. So let’s look more closely at your inner being – that place that no one knows but you and the Spirit of Christ. It is hidden from every other human being, even that person closest to you!
Again, it can’t be overstated that this is “ground zero” for the supernatural transformation process that will change you forever. There is no other way to know this transformation. In fact, this is the single-most important element of a Christ-follower’s life. Jesus Himself makes this abundantly clear in His own words, speaking especially to religious people! Of course these words should speak to you and me as well.
“First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean… You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”
– Matthew 23:26-28
Let’s drive this home to your own private world, your secret place. In God’s infinite wisdom and His permissive will, you are a free agent. In the depths of your soul, choices are made arising from your thought patterns, mindset, intentions and motivations. These choices lead to more choices, like the ripples of water in a pond. With unseen momentum, the ever-expanding ripples of your choices eventually lead to one of two places: either a dark and sorrowful place, or they will lead to a peaceful and glad place, full of light. Over time, you become the product of your choices.
“For as he thinks within himself, so he is…”
– Proverbs 23:7 (NASB translation)
The Holy Spirit always examines your secret place before all else because this is where the “real” you lives. Again, this is of utmost importance to God because what’s really living there will ultimately be revealed – perhaps not intentionally – in external ways, through behavior, attitudes and actions.
It bears repeating the four critical inner life forces, or drivers, that influence your behavior, attitudes and actions. Let’s examine God’s word in relation to these, because the Bible is clear that we are to surrender these inner workings to Christ. The progression that occurs in the inner life, from each of these drivers to the next, will literally drive your life:
It begins with thoughts that form thought patterns:
“Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about. Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and saw me doing…”
– Philippians 4:8-9
Thought patterns in time solidify into a mindset:
“Set your mind and keep focused habitually on the things above [the heavenly things], not on things that are on the earth [which have only temporal value].”
– Colossians 3:2
A mindset influences intentions:
“Men judge by outward appearance, but I look at a man’s thoughts and intentions.”
– God speaking to the Prophet Samuel in 1 Samuel 16:7 (The Living Bible)
Finally, intentions drive motivations:
“All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord.”
– Proverbs 16:2
How glad the heart
Below is an honest expression of the heart that surely many of us can identify with in our own lives:
“Oh how I guarded my secret place, that nothing would be revealed lest I be ashamed. Yet even though my inner gates were closed and darkness prevailed there, a piercing light still shone through, revealing all that was hidden within the gates. Those invisible and powerful things that were driving my life – my thought patterns, mindset, intentions, motivations – were examined by the Spirit of God. I was terrified of my inner life being exposed to the light.
But how glad the heart that turns to follow Jesus! Though He saw it all – and more than I know – hidden there, yet He still rescued me. He transformed those invisible and powerful forces inside. Jesus is always ready and able to restore a soul willing to follow Him, no matter the darkness hidden behind the gates of the secret place.
Today, the secrets being revealed in my secret place are washed and cleansed in the light of truth! Everything hidden will be revealed, and what a joy now that my secret place reveals the presence of Christ and blesses others.
Today I still guard my secret place. Those gates are still closed. But today they’re closed to keep the darkness out, and the Light shines brightly inside! Christ is at home there now. His light shines forth, and the darkness flees. He lights my way. I am redeemed by His grace, transformed by His love, set free by His life in me.“
Key takeaways:
- The “secret place” is the inner life, the human spirit, soul (heart and mind); the immaterial “core” of every person where your “drivers” reside – thought patterns, mindsets, intentions, motivations.
- This secret place is ground zero for Christ followers because all speech and behavior inevitably reveal what’s hidden, including those drivers residing internally in the secret place (i.e. cause and effect).
For reflection or discussion:
- Re-read the quote from Charles Spurgeon at the top of this article. What does it mean to you?
- Summarize your understanding of your “inner being” aka “secret place” with a few key points.
- In the section entitled “How glad the heart” what are four areas (drivers) that God examines in your inner life? Why does God do this, and why are these drivers so critical?
- There are several scripture passages shared in this article relating to the priority that God places on your inner life. Which of these passages is most significant to you, and why? Please take some time to look up these verses, perhaps even in different Bible translations. A good online resource for examining Bible verses in different translations is www.biblegateway.com – check it out.
Photo by Tim Hufner
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