Into the begining

A couple of stories I saw this week got methinking. The first was of a lady that was brought up in America to white parents, only to discover her mothers parents where African American and mix race. This meant her mum who looked white was in fact coloured (which she found it stated on her birth certificate).

She looked back and said about the little clues her mum had given them. Like always powering her face which a light powder, never going out in the sun, and never wanting to talk about her past. 

The second story was of two ladies.adopted at 5 months old now in their 40s both discover they where twins.

The record showed how one was adopted a taken away two days before the other. Which not only highlighted the question why where they adopted but also how different it would have been if the other one was taken first. 

In both stories the people where left with a lot of what ifs. And maybe realising they are not the people they had thought. And suddenly realised they had a different past, different history to what they knew. 

I used to have a card on my mirror in the bathroom that read 

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭43:18-19‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This was God talking to the people about how they can trust him. And that the past has been and he had lead them to a new life. He was giving the people new freedom. A new start. He was doing new things and they need not worrie about the life they lived before or the things they had done. 

Later we understand that what God told those people many years before, Jesus had taught to his followers and as they spread out across the world the message of hope and joy and forgiveness was what they preached 

“So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

Ok I’m not saying forget our past. Some of our past we should find some pride in. But we all have stuff we wish wasn’t remember. Or shameful things we may have done! We might even wish we could change the past or miss someone in our live was still here. God can’t change your past but what he can do is put it right. He can even use it for good. By you accepting him as a light to your wold. You become a new creation entering a new stage of your life. The past is pasted, it is no longer. 

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Seek him first!

We go around life wondering when, how, why,  if. And sometime wonder when’s this God people talk about is going make an appearance, when is he going to bring us that life he promises us. Wondering when all the trouble and pain and stress is going to end. We pray to God and ask for all the things we want and want him to do. But what we fail to do is do the things he wants from us. .

You ever heard the phrase seek ye first? It’s in Matthew 6 verse 33 of the Bible. It’s also a well know song sang in churches and schools throughout the world. Written by a lady in America called Karen Lafferty, its a simple song with word direct from the bible it’s self. 

So what does it mean? Well I guess we have to go back to the begining of the chapter. It says don’t let one hand see what the other hand is doing or give to the needy in secret rather than telling others and looking for praise. It says don’t stand on the corner of streets or in crowded church’s, praying as if you’ve swallowed a dictonary, looking to impress. But go and sit alone in your room and pray personally to God and know he is listening. It also says about fasting (going without something we like). It clearly says don’t go around telling others you fasting but keep it between yourself and God. 

In today’s world we all look for others approval. We sometimes try and look for praise and tell others how great life is or how great we are because we did something good. We idolise the famous and let money rule our lives. This is not what God tells us to do.  

We don’t need other people’s approval or money to make us great. We don’t need to pretend we are as good as the next person or go along with others just to stay popular. All we need to do is seek Gods praise and  approval. Because it’s when we “seek him first” all those other things won’t matter as much, and our worries and our fears will not be taken away but fade into less significance. We will learn to know and trust God. And then all  things shall be added. 

So don’t worrie about how much better or how rich you are in the eyes of the world. Don’t worry if someone knows more than you or can preach better or can pray better. Gods already given us a perfect prayer to pray in the shape of the Lord’s Prayer. So as the bible says, worrie for nothing for when you seek God he will add all his goodness to you.