Have you ever seen the show "Who do you think You Are?" I had always heard you don't know who you really are until you find out where "you" have been. In other words you are shaped by things that have happened before so you better know what has happened in the past. During collegeI was asked to dig into the past twice. Once on the history of my family and once on the history of the town I was living in at the time. Both papers were very interesting and gave some insight into the present. So I think there is some truth to that. But, as I watched two episodes of the show I say one celeberity find great stories of courage and overcoming and the other one find out her grandfather was a lying unfaithful piligamist. Bill rebuked me for watching the show and took me to the scriptures for his defense.
1 Timothy 1:4 and Titus 3:9 both specifically state we are to stay away from "endless geneologies" because they bring up questions rather than building our understanding of who God and believing on him in faith. This stirred up all kind of emotion in me as my dad's side of the family has researched back to when our ancestors came over from Enland and now have a museum on the homestead property honoring them and thier contribution to the industry of farming. I told him I would do some research in the matter to settle the graplings of my restless emotions. So in the wee small hours I am wrestling with this matter.
Let's say that you are looking into your past and you find great things it would build you up that is great! For sake of debate what if you found something bad and unexpected it does stir up questions. Then there are the issues of what we call in christainese generational sins. Things that are carried down from generation to generation. Does that lead to a self fulfilling prophecy? As I graple through all this I know that every family has those things they tuck away hoping that noone will ever see, should those things stay hiddenor is there benefit to knowing so you can come out swining against that issue?
I am coming to think that is all in how you handle it. You can dwell on it and let it consume you which in our human nature that is what we tend to do; or we can hold it up with open hands to God. We can forgive the hurt. We can pray against the effect that have rippled through the generations. And if we have believed on Christ we can look to the HOPE we find in HIM. Because ultimately what is done is done and I can only focus on the here and now and hope that the future is brighter than the past. The only person I can truely change is me...and hope that that change has a positive effect on the future generations.
So I think I am agreeing with my husband. It is good to be aware of issues BUT as far as focusing and dwelling on those issues of the past is detremental because it rocks the foundation of FAITH and how we influence others. I think that is what Paul meant in Philipians when he said
" Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things
which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (3:13-14)"
and
"Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. . Be anxious for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace
of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these
things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you (4:4-9)
My ressponse believing God is in control. He knows what happened in the past and what will happen in the future. My job is to live in the present as a "soldier for God"putting on the armor He provided and diligently fighting the good fight and praying dilegently for my family. Being a wife and a mom seems to increase the awareness of the basics. They are vital to who the next generation is to become.
I didn't really rebuke you. I just told you the genealogy thing wasn't a good idea. And then used scripture to back it up. I just looked at it was the fact that once we become children of God we are adopted into a new family and have a new genealogy, which is equally messed up, but has a great source and a glorious future.
ReplyDelete