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Gary G. Hoag
“Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others.”— 1 Corinthians 2:15
“When the children of the kingdom pray, they may even disappear from sight, for they have learned to be indifferent to whether others know of their prayer or not. They enter a private room and close the door. There they pray to their Father, who not only sees in secret, but, Jesus here says, is in secret. This is very significant.
The secret place is where God is. There we stand “under the shadow of the Almighty” (Ps. 91). Prayer, it is rightly said, is the method of genuine theological research, the method of understanding what and who God is. God is spirit and exists at the level of reality where the human heart, or spirit, also exists, serving as the foundation and source of our visible life It is there that the individual meets with God “in spirit and in truth.”
The effect is, once again, a remarkable difference in the life of the believer. “Your Father who sees in secret will repay you” (v. 6). The visible side of your life will involve highly significant events that cannot be explained in terms of the visible world. The “spiritual” person is understood by no one, as Paul says (1 Cor. 2:15). That is because they are operating from the reality that is “in secret.”
Dallas Willard (1935-2013) in The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering our Hidden Life in God (San Francisco: HarperOne, 1998) 193-194.
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You might be reading this and asking: What does this secret and alternate reality have to do with generosity?
I spent a block of time one morning with Dallas Willard a few years before His passing. I asked Him the importance of biblical stewardship instruction.
He told me that it’s only the most important thing I could teach. Why?
He continued that the world was filled with noise and lies. We are bombarded by them. He said to create space to be alone with God and abide with Him there.
Again, you might think, what does this have to do with generosity? Everything!
Our generosity and service flows out who we are. Find a secret place to spend time with God daily. You are either formed by the world or formed by God and His Word.
Your part in this is to determine whether you will get and remain connected to Him and function according to an alternate reality the world cannot comprehend.
As generosity is a fruit of the Spirit, it is the byproduct of functioning according to an abundant alternate reality. It flows when we are connected to God.
It’s significant to realize that connection only happens in the secret place we locate.
Find one! Be alone with God daily. See how it ignites your generosity.
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