The Estate
I go running every Saturday morning. It doesn’t matter if it’s hot or cold, dry or wet, dark or light, I’m out in my tasteful high-viz lycra shorts. It isn’t a great look, but you can’t miss me!
I’m a plodder! I’m not training for an event. For me it’s all about my personal fitness and wellbeing. I just enjoy being out in the beautiful countryside near where we live.
Over the years I have created a variety of routes. One of them goes through the Hackwood Park estate, just south of our town.
The entrance leads to an impressive driveway. The grass is always perfectly manicured, the road is smooth and a joy to run on. It is flanked by a variety of mature trees and iron fencing.
As you go further in, the public right of way turns to the left, away from the main house. The pathway turns to a rougher tarmac and the iron fencing is replaced with a wire one.
Going a little further the road becomes a track, and the fence is made from flimsy ‘chicken wire’. This is far less impressive than the entrance to the estate. This contrast reminded me of something I read in the Bible…
“The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
This verse comes from a story in the Old Testament when God sent a man called Samuel to select a new king for Israel. He went to a family with eight sons.
Samuel saw the eldest and thought he was a fine-looking man, and assumed he was the one to be king. However, God said that it’s not how somebody looks that is important, it’s all about what’s going on the inside - their heart.
The road and fence at the Hackwood Park estate is very impressive as you enter, but further in, things are quite different. For me, this image captures the essence of this Bible verse.
Do we present ourselves in a certain way, our ‘outward appearance’, but further in, on our inside there is another story?
What happens on our inside is important. The motivation of our heart will determine our thinking, attitudes, behaviour, and actions. It’s these areas that are far more important to God than how we look!
God bless you :)
Gary Bastin - Hope Community Church leader