Jesus during his earthly ministry used many illustrations to explain spiritual truths.
Lets look at a few things the bible says should be done in secret.
Giving of alms:
Matthew 6:1- 3
Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father, which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
We are warned here not to draw attention to ourselves when giving. Does anything make a public noise for all to see when you give?
Lets ask ourselves - ?would l still do this if no one ever got to know that l did it??
We are to ensure that when we give, it is not to receive praise of men, for then we have no reward from God.
Prayer
Matthew 6:5 - 6
And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
Do you only attend church prayer meetings when you are sure that the pastor will be there to see you pray? Apart from normal church prayer meetings, do you take time to pray to the Father in secret? Yes, it is good to attend general prayer meetings, but lets not just attend so that people can see that we came.
We are told that as we pray in secret, when no one sees, God will reward us openly. Do you want an open reward? Begin to pray in secret.
Fasting
Matthew 6:16 - 18
Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
In our society today, if you were to go to the office with a long face and someone asked you ?What?s the matter? You then responded ? l am fasting?, you probably would be laughed at. If you work in a professional atmosphere, they may do the laughing at your back.
Fasting is needful in seeking the face of God. It may not be popular, but as we seek His face in secret, God will reward us openly. After all what is the point of going hungry with no reward from God?
If we want an open reward from God, the above things need to be done in secret. God who sees in secret, will reward openly.