The Unfamiliar

Getting older does have its benefits. You become more purposeful about what you do. Health comes much more naturally when younger. Getting older you also have more time you can look back over your life and see the valuable experience you have gained, and lessons learned.

As a Christian of 33 years now I have the hindsight to look back over my life and see the blessings of Christ in it that I didn't realize at the time. The first church I was a member of as a new believer was a very legalist church, but God showed me the basic doctrines of His Word. The second church I was a member of was a very busy church with a lot of programs with an expectation from members to support them. At this church God showed me service and duty to Him and others.

As I look back at the years at those churches, I must admit that I felt as if I was being dragged through those times. That's because as someone who never had any experience with the Christian life it was very unfamiliar and that's okay.

The Apostle Paul reminds us 1 Corinthians 5 v 14-15 that the love of Christ compels us because we live for the One who died and rose on our behalf.

Interestingly, I have spent about 8 years at each church I have attended since coming to know Christ personally and the Bible shows that as the number of new beginnings. Totally not my planning. While attending my current church God has impressed upon and showed me devotion. That it's about surrender and transformation in Him totally unplanned. Now I have to see what happens the next 8 years. We can be certain in our uncertainty when it's in Christ.