Remember…But Don’t Stay There
Remembering the past, both good memories and bad, can be a good thing…if. There are two big ifs to consider. First, we’re told that if we don’t learn from the past, we’re doomed to repeat it. Second, we have to move on from it; we can’t stay there in our minds and relive it. We have to move on to adulthood.
For those who are in Christ, “we are new creations, the old things passed away, behold new things have come” (2 Cor. 5:17). Do we live our new persona or do dregs of the past, pull us in the wrong direction?
There is good that can come from remembering our past…again, if.
If we remember how often God “rebuked the devourer for our sake” (Mal. 3:11), and all the times He didn’t punish us for our sin, but mercifully forgave us and allowed us to live. See Acts 5: 5 & 10 for examples of immediate judgment, twice. We can learn from our mistakes and continue on the path of growth, praising God for His grace and mercy even when we haven’t deserved them.
Positive memories from our past can help us through trials. I don’t know of a tougher trial than that of burying one of your children. My wife and I have had to do it twice; once in ’74 for our 1-year-old daughter and again 30 years later for our 27-year-old son. Two things got us through these trials. Foremost is our faith in God, knowing that He doesn’t make mistakes and always has purpose for everything He does, and knowing we’ll see them again. Secondly, we chose to remember all the good times and not dwell on the void left by their absence.
Scripture is the best medicine for a wounded heart.
The promises, directions, and hope are the recipe for successfully moving on. Wrap your mind around the examples listed below and understand that God is speaking to you.
Neh. 4:14 “Remember the Lord who is great and awesome.”
Ps. 119:49 “Remember the word to Your servant in which You have made me hope.”
Ps. 105:5 “Remember His wonders which He has done.”
1 Cor. 10:13 “No temptation [trial] has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”
Whether you’re a believer in Jesus now or not yet,
if you’re suffering today because of your past, know that God has the answers in Jesus Christ to forgive any and all sin and guarantee your future home in heaven. For a step-by-step plan to secure this guarantee, turn to the appendix, Steps To Salvation, in the back of this book.