Those Were the Days

Do you enjoy reminiscing about yesterday? To sit around with friends and recall the days when things were simpler, easier, better. I think to an extent we all do. In fact, this coming weekend, our church will have a Homecoming Weekend to celebrate 30+ years of ministry at Ashworth Road Baptist Church. But is it possible that celebrating the past can be negative? I believe that looking back can be positive. First it gives a foundation to our current setting. It is good to see the beginning, the foundation, to understand the purpose for which we exist today. Second, I believe in the old saying, “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” (George Santayana) Looking back can help prevent us from making the same mistakes over and over, as we are sometimes prone to do. Lastly, I think remembering is Biblical. When the Israelites crossed over the Jordan River into the Promised Land, a memorial was constructed so that future generations would know, “that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant went across.” (Joshua 4:7 NLT) It was and still is important that future generations understand the rich history and heritage of our Christian faith. But we must use caution in our remembering. In Ecclesiastes 7:10, Solomon instructs, “Don’t long for the ‘gold old days.’ This is not wise.” Why not? I thought we just made the case that remembering is a good thing. The danger occurs when we set the context of the present in the past. We compare everything we presently do to “the good old days.” Rarely can we live up to the memories of yesteryear. The pining away for days gone by can become an inescapable burden to those in the here and now. Our present should not be limited by the past. We need to view the present in the context of the future, with all the potential that our present can become. The past is history; the future is unlimited in potential. May our longings not be an anchor that drags us backward, but may they propel us forward to the limitless blessings that are ahead. "For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." –Jeremiah 29:11