The Way of KingsSample

In the Secret Place

Much of what we know about particular kings, both ancient and modern, is from the public persona they offer us. In the old times, royalty were often seen on their thrones and on stages in front of eager crowds. Now we see the rulers of the world on our screens, their faces and actions broadcast to millions. But behind every public face is a private person who lives the majority of their life behind closed doors. The simple fact is that we really don’t know the person who exists when the cameras turn off.

In reality, this is true of all of us. We give only parts of ourselves to the outside world. The truth of who we are lies not in the incomplete vision we cast for others to see but in the private man behind the curtain of public life.

Many stories prevail about seemingly good people who hid darker lives. Only they and God could see the full truth of who they were, but the signs were there nonetheless. Stories of moral pastors hiding sexual addiction, good politicians hiding selfish corruption, and peaceful-looking husbands and fathers hiding violent tendencies are all too common in the story of mankind. So, what must we do? Jesus gave a vision that counteracts the world’s way of doing things.

The Lord told the Samuel, “People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). In saying this, God sought to remind us that He cares what forms our inward lives. How we act when no one is around, the choices we make when we are alone, and the secret thoughts we have reflect who we really are. It’s not the fragile persona we offer to the world.

Jesus was most often upset not by the obvious sinners surrounding Him but instead by the Pharisees, who paraded their good works and polished religious veneers while hiding their contaminated hearts. Jesus was concerned with the hidden condition of their hearts.

To become the kings we are made to be, we shift our attention to living a life of goodness in secret where only God can see us. To build character in the absence of praise. To work through our fears and failures privately with God rather than donning a mask. Then—regardless of how we fare in the court of public opinion—the favor of God will be with us.

How are your inner life and outer persona consistent? Ask God to make you a man who is the same in public as in private.