The Glorified Past
The problem with glorifying the past is that we don’t appreciate the present or see the possibilities for the future.
Reference: By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. (Psalm 137:1 TNIV)
Explore: History can have a powerful pull on our lives. We can often look back with rose-coloured glasses and think that our past was the most wonderful place.
While it is important to learn from our past, the reality is that we can never go back.
I’ve met a number of older Christians who lived in the past. They believed that the 1970s were the glory days and, if only we could replicate exactly what the church did back then, our worship services would be packed to the brim with members.
The problem with glorifying the past is that we don’t appreciate the present or see the possibilities for the future.
Application: The Israelites – the people of God – had experienced much devastation. All that they knew had been ripped from under them.
It’s okay to grieve for that which has been, but if you see the past as the best, then you will lose all hope for the future.
If you believe that God is here for you now, and there for your future, then you have the hope that the best is yet to come. God sits with us in our despair, but then shines a light towards a future that is filled with His love and hope.
Prayer: Lord, may we not cling to the past, but hold firmly onto the hope we have in You. Amen.
What is something from your past that you find hard to let go of?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.