Things of Old

Isaiah 43:18-19 "Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.  Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."

I guess I am still basking in the glow of a very nice Advent season. Sure it was busy and all that. But this year was essentially free from some of the emotions that can make for difficult times amongst family members, especially siblings.

The Ghost of Christmas Past, from the Charles Dickens classic work of fiction "A Christmas Carol", can be a troubling experience to endure. For this ghost can take on a real, and ugly form, during the Christmas season.  This ghost can come out in the form of past family history dredged up in the middle of the season of peace, love and kindness. Families can be ripped apart by the past. The ripping is usually done by family members airing out old, and most likely dead and long forgotten issues. It could be a perceived slight carried out by one family member upon another. Or possibly perceived favoritism towards one sibling. It can even be something even more serious or dark.  Often times the issues which have been simmering for many years can come to a boil and then quickly boil over at the most innocent of times. This is truly a sad, sad state of affairs.  The words from the Lord in Isaiah 43:18 are good words to hold close to our hearts at any time, and especially during the Christmas season.  Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.  This reminder to let the past stay in the past is wise council.  No one of us is perfect. Each and every one of us has sinned, fallen short of perfection, or not lived up to some one's expectations.  It is all part of the human condition. Only God is perfect, and we can only be made perfect in Christ.  We need to move forward in the newness we find in Christ Jesus. If we chose to hang on to the old, we are constantly trapped in the past, never moving out of that pit of depression or anger.  We hold ourselves hostage.  Yet, if we truly embrace the future that is in Christ Jesus, we are released from the shackles of the past. 2 Corinthians 5:17 reminds us of the renewal we have in Jesus. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.  In choosing to live in the past, we reject the future and all the possibilities the future holds.  We fail to move forward and thrive. Dear friends, embrace the new creation we all have in Christ Jesus and let go of the old self.

PRAYER: Abba, Father we are often held captive by our past. We are tempted to hold a grudge against others, even our own family members. We shackle our selves to that which is long gone in our past. Help us Dear Lord to embrace the new creation we have in Jesus Christ. Help us, through faith in Jesus to let go of that which was so that we can slip out of those shackles and walk in the light of Christ. We ask this in the name of the our risen savior Jesus Christ, Amen.