The Scandal of Identity TheftSample

The Secret Place

If we look at the world system, it encourages us to “come out of the closet”; it encourages us to be bold and fearless by adapting to the mold it sets for us by whatever is trending in that season. Isn’t it just like the devil to go against the principles that God has set down in His word? While the secret place in the Bible encourages us to lock away and spend time with God so we can become more like Him, the world encourages us to come out from the secret place and bear our allegiance to the god of the ever-changing culture. Isn’t it amazing that God richly grants His presence and provision for those seeking Him? Jesus, the Son of God, made time to spend in the secret place, and He did so many miracles and wonders because of His getting away to a quiet place—and if He needed it, how much more do we need the secret place? 

Two things happen when we spend time in the secret place that cause us to stay anchored in our identity in Christ.

The first thing that changes when we spend time with God in the secret place is our speaking. Spending time in the secret place consists of praise and worship, reading scriptures, meditating on the scriptures we read, prayer, and waiting to hear what the Holy Spirit wants to say to our hearts about what is on God’s heart. In my personal experience, early in my quest to spend time with my Savior Jesus, I noticed that it was very awkward and weird; it was very formal, and honestly I never waited in silence to hear anything. I would just read my Bible, pray a few words of “bless me, Lord” and be on my way—and I felt that was time with God. But as I grew in my understanding of the secret place, I realized that I was meeting with God, and it should be the way I would meet my best friend for coffee. My time having coffee with my friend is not rehearsed and formal, but it is respectful of her feelings, giving her opportunities to speak and share what’s on her heart while I ponder the words she is saying and pay attention to her presence. Again, remember the whole purpose of the meeting is fellowship and conversation, which result in a change of mind.

Spending time in the secret place is a sign of a maturing believer and evidence that the believer knows his or her true identity. Time alone with God causes us to hear His heart for us and opens up doors of hope and courage, and we can then place priority on our true source, which is God himself. Moments in the secret place fuel the language of hope, faith, and victory, and we can declare who God is because it is here God reminds us who we are in Him.

The second thing that happens in the secret place is that the way we see changes. The Apostle Peter stated, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech” (1 Pet. 3:10, NIV). Speaking life is a kingdom principle, and I am big on the power of words, but there is a higher truth hidden within this verse. Peter is showing us that to see good, we must first speak good things. Once we get into the secret place with God, and we speak in line with who God is to us, then we can see things change also. As long as we stay focused on what is wrong in our lives, we can never see as God sees, and the only place for our vision to change is the secret place.

The secret place is our speaking and seeing place, not as the world speaks or sees—only limited to the culture of the day and ever changing—but we learn to speak and see as God does. The secret place transforms us every time; it is not a onetime change, but we are constantly changing every time we spend time with God. The secret place is not only a place where we change, but it is also a place that prepares us to make a difference in the world. The secret place helps transform us so we can add to the world. The whole purpose of knowing your identity is for you to live out your purpose while you are heading to your destiny. Do not underestimate the power of a transformed mind that is anchored in the identity of Christ. It is in the secret place that we transform into the best us, the authentic us, the original us. The secret place is your place of transformation, and as you have taken this journey with me on reclaiming your identity, my prayer is that you will emerge beautifully from the inside out and walk out your purpose, effecting change.

This plan is an excerpt from the book "The Scandal of Identity Theft; Reclaim Your Identity" Click here to learn more.