"Remember the days of old, Consider the years of all
generations. Ask your father, and he will inform you, Your elders, and they
will tell you. Deuteronomy 32:7
A new year designated as 2011
is approaching. So what? Does it really make any difference? Every year
we come to this time with the concept of time on our minds. We feel that the passing of time compels us to
think about our lives and the direction they are taking. A "new" year ought to cause us to
make "new" resolutions concerning our lives. This is the way we think. Should we be
thinking this way?
Well,
it seems that we certainly should be thinking about time. While time may not be "real" in the
ultimate sense, it is not an illusion. It
is something with which we must deal, and deal effectively. The Bible deals
with it. God calls us to deal with it.
What would He say to us at the beginning of this New Year?
In thinking about time, we must think clearly about the past.
It should go without saying that the past is past. What we have done is done and there is nothing
we can do about it. And people who can
allow the past to be past are fortunate indeed. You see, the past can bind us, it can imprison
us.
Some people live in the
past. It is in this sense that the past can enslave
us. This is not to say that there is
anything wrong with memories. In fact,
good memories are exceedingly valuable and should be drawn from our past
experiences and relationships to give us our history. But the memories of our failures and our
fears, and the times we were hurt by others; these are the things that can drag
us down. In one sense, this sense, we do need to let the past go.
In another sense, however, the
past is not dead at all. And it
should not be. The past is very much
alive in us. The past has shaped us. It has made us, to a certain degree, who we
are. Because of our experiences in the
past, our character has been formed the way it is. So in a real sense the past is present with us
every moment.
How do you view your past? Is it something that still haunts you, or is
it something that helps you? Are there
unresolved situations in your past that you need to deal with today? Are there people in your past you need to
contact in order to make something right? Are there past sins you need to confess to
God, to repent of, and to turn from? The past is past, but it is not dead.
We must deal with the past effectively if we are to live in the present
happily.
Scripture to Claim:
Seek
the LORD and His strength; seek His face continually. Remember His wonders
which He has done, His marvels and the judgments uttered by His mouth, Psalms
105:4-5
