I've Got a Secret
I’m old enough to remember the classic TV show, I've Got a Secret. Running on CBS television from 1952-1967, it featured a panel of celebrities who tried to determine a contestant’s “secret” – something that was unusual, amazing, or humorous about the person.
The show is long gone, but keeping secrets is not a game. We all have secrets. Habits we struggle with that we don’t want to be exposed. Failures we’re ashamed of that we want to remain hidden. Behaviors we keep in the dark that are impacting our lives and relationships.
Pastors are no exception.
Indeed, I suspect pastors carry more secrets than most because of the position they hold and the influence they wield. They fear losing face, reputation, and even position if those secrets were to come to light.
The thing is, secrets stink. They have damaged individuals. They have decimated families. They have devastated churches. We’ve all seen it happen far too many times.
Fortunately, not everyone and relatively few pastors carry the kind of secrets that lead to public scandal such as we have seen in recent years. But all of us carry around in the most obscure nooks and crannies of our hearts the things we hope no one discovers. Ever.
All of us carry around in the most obscure nooks and crannies of our hearts, the things we hope no one discovers. Ever.
Secrets can be completely blameless while still causing extreme shame, such as having been abused or raped. Or they can be heinous and sinister, such as having been the abuser.
Addictions to pornography, gambling, drugs, and alcohol thrive off the parasitic energy of secrecy. And for all of us who carry them, the exposure of our secrets is perhaps our worst fear of all.
John Baker, founder of Celebrate Recovery, has famously said, “We’re only as sick as our secrets.” Our secrets make us sick, and exposure – our greatest fear – is often the only path to healing.
One of the secret weapons against secrets is also one of the secret weapons against sin.
That weapon is… the light of day! Your secret only has power because it’s a secret.
One of the secret weapons against secrets is also one of the secret weapons against sin. That weapon is… the light of day! Your secret only has power because it’s a secret.
As long as it’s a secret, it has control over you. Once you shine the light of day on it by sharing it with the appropriate person at the appropriate time and in the appropriate way, it can begin to lose its power.
That is if you follow through and move through the healing process. Bringing something to light is only helpful if that light allows for healing.
What are some of my secrets?
Sorry, but I’ll never tell! And that’s perfectly okay.
You see, you don’t have to tell everybody your secret for your burden to be lifted. You just have to tell the right person or persons.
God does not want us to carry secrets.
They lead to shame, guilt, lies, a troubled mind, reduced effectiveness, and emotional exhaustion. And left unchecked, they can land you in a ditch.
God does not want us to carry secrets. They lead to shame, guilt, lies, a troubled mind, reduced effectiveness, and emotional exhaustion. And left unchecked, they can land you in a ditch.
Maybe it’s time for you to come clean.
To share your secret with a trusted friend or mentor. Maybe you need to share the burden of it with another as the first step to getting free of it.
When you tell your secret, like a new car immediately after you drive it off the showroom floor, it drops in value big time!
A shared secret loses its teeth and releases its bite on you.
Then take the next step and get help through experienced or even professional counsel.
What secret are you carrying? Can I scream it?
FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE, BARE YOUR BURDEN AND ALLOW ANOTHER TO BEAR YOUR BURDEN! TELL SOMEONE! SHARE YOUR SECRET!
And, as you do, watch it lose its power.
You may never be as famous for your secret as those contestants were in that TV show.
But then, that might be the best win of all.
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