What you see is not always what you get.

There are many sayings we have that sound the same. It is what it is, What you see is what you get, Motor oil is motor oil. These all relate to looking directly and honestly at something and saying that is what it is. And then comes along another one that challenges those: You can't judge a book by its cover.

So, what is truth? Jesus thought the Pharisees looked like "whitewashed tombs", a reference to how their outside looked great but inside they were dead spiritually. When we look at something we have been doing for maybe our whole life, and we have been constantly running after whatever it is we are chasing, and think that should be reality of life, maybe it is our time to say, What you see is not always what you get.

In other words, maybe what we think to be the way it should be is absolutely for sure, not what it is. Prince Charming, Cinderella, chasing rainbows, achieving wealth, they all sound good, but are we spending too much time going after what isn't, rather than what is? There is a fine line between being the best, going after the best, and yet facing reality that going after that may not be in our best interests.

So these words which I have heard constantly hit me even more directly this week, "seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you".  I think the words that give us problems are "these things".

In previous verses he is speaking of clothing and food primarily but we as we are prone to do, extend it to everything else we need. Let me have this kind of person, that kind of love, that kind of job, and on and on, but it occurred to me that seeking his kingdom first might mean we have to make some sacrifices in our seeing and our wanting.

Maybe God doesn't mean for us to have all of that which which we seek because it may get in the way of seeking first his kingdom. Maybe we look for distractions just to stay interested in this worldly kind of way instead of staying focused on what he has in store for us to do. It's easy to lose focus with so many things around us that look great but on the inside are filled with distraction for us.

A little deep this week, but just a reflection. Which brings up another thought, if you look in clear water and see a reflection of yourself are you seeing your reflection or just clear water? Or maybe both, or maybe what is below the water? That might be a great way to close this blog because What you see is not always what you get!