From Jim’s heart…Your Secret Life Illustrated

Several years ago on a trip to Alaska, a commercial fisherman treated me to a trip around Petersburg Bay. What a thrill! We saw sea lions, seals, eagles, and even several whales. But what inspired the greatest awe in me were the icebergs. The captain of the boat, exercising great caution, steered well clear of them.

He explained that icebergs are so feared and respected because seven-eighths of the mass of an iceberg is be­low the surface. How far out did the ice extend under the water that could snag and sink a boat in minutes? The captain couldn’t know. All we could do was view its ominous presence with great respect… and from a great distance!

Friend, what’s true about icebergs is true about your life. Your secret life, your inner life, is much like the mass of an iceberg, which is largely below the surface, away from the public eye. Just as an iceberg’s strength and power comes largely from the unseen portion, it’s the secret part of your life that gives you the power to live a holy life and have an outward and awesome impact.

The “inner man” is what the Bible calls it. So, why is the qual­ity of your secret life so vital? Because this is where life’s battles are fought… and won. The inner life encompasses your mind – what you think and think on. It includes your will – what you decide you will and won’t do. And it centers on your heart. As the Bible says, “as [a man] thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7).

What will godly desires, obedience, and a carefully nurtured secret life produce in you? What are the traits you will nurture in your inner life that will equip you to make a difference in the lives of others?

• You will develop deep personal convictions. These con­victions will come from your desire to be obedient in all areas of your life to your Lord Jesus Christ.
• You will subordinate all of your life under a set of God-centered goals – goals that embrace all the major areas of a person’s life.
• You will establish and maintain a personal life of disci­pline – understanding that spiritual discipline and phys­ical discipline are bound as one.
• You will make wiser decisions. Why? Because you are beginning to understand that the essence of the Christian life resides in the will.
• You will accept the challenge of living a godly life – a life that will have an influence on others.
• You will embrace the concept of serving others. There can be no impact without contact – contact that desires to give with no expectation.
• You will understand that to have an influence on people you must establish the right priorities in your life… and people must be one of your top priorities.
• You will sense that your life has purpose and destiny.

My encounter with those large icebergs in Alaska left me impressed and awed with their power. And, my friend, that’s the way it can be with your life and mine… if we settle once and for all the issue of the necessity of nur­turing our secret life according to God’s Word. Once we make that decision and act on it, the results of our inner change will emerge above the surface to leave a breathtaking and lasting impact on others.

Question: Is your secret life one of trust and obedience to God, bringing His confidence and power? Or is your secret life filled with fear, faithlessness, and fruitlessness?

Read From Jim’s heart…Your Secret Life Illustrated on Elizabeth & Jim George.