"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
So we have recently started a new year. So what? Does it really make any difference? 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.
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
