JUST BETWEEN US

One day a young boy made something wrong. When his mother knew he had done that, alerted and showed him the consequences of that flaw. Time passed and both mother and son were going to pray, and his mother said: "Don’t forget to tell God what happened!"; and the boy rapidly replied to his mother: "That’s not necessary; this stays just between us."

Two ideas can come up to our minds when we think about the boy’s reply to his mother:

1. The boy didn’t want to bother God, with something he considered to be irrelevant.
2. He thought he should, and could, hide from God what happened.

We may think that he’s just a boy and the situation is acceptable – but be surprised – there are adults who do this. The consequences of trying to hide from God, things we do, isn’t just critical is also catastrophic. Paul said to the Romans the following: For sin… deceived me, and by it killed me¹. Apostle John talks about the honesty that should exist, the sincere confession and repenting of our actions².

Let’s go back to the boy’s story. We can consider something insignificant, very well, I’m not even to discuss if it is or not. What I know is that this behavior can get worse developing to worse and more serious behaviors and then it will be too late, or maybe nothing happens. But is it really like this?

Let’s suppose the boy of our story has a name, grew up, developed, passed by a normal adolescence, and we now find him as a promising young man. He had become an adult full of dreams, who married with someone very similar to him. And, already married both act voluntarily and by mutual agreement on a subject that can seriously change their lives. For many this isn’t more than the fertile imagination of this lines’ author, and that the possibilities of this actually happen are none.

Very well let’s see the conclusion of our story.

But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles' feet.³

Their “this stays just between us” was revealed: While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.⁴

The consequences were tragic both for the husband: Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last⁵; and the wife: Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last.⁶

Be careful with the way you’re dealing with the sin. Remember the advice of the Holy Spirit: Remember the advice of the Holy Spirit: Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.⁷

Never let things to stay just between us, but between you, you and God.

¹ Romans 7:11
² 1 John 1:9
³ Acts 5:1, 2
⁴ Acts 5:4
⁵ Acts 5:5
⁶ Acts 5:10
⁷ Galatians 6:7

Translation of an article by Pr. José Faria