As the years go by, I find myself thinking back to the good old days; reflecting on my time as a youth and how things seemed ‘simpler’ and somewhat ‘better’ back then. I think about the gradual moral decay, the rise in cost of living, the increasing news of violence among young people, and I wish things could be as they were before.
Interestingly, my parents didn’t find my good old days any better, as they also referred to their good old days.
Every generation looks back with nostalgia thinking the past was somewhat better. As humans, our minds have a way of often recalling pleasant memories, even during the challenging seasons of one’s life. We gradually forget the pain, the stress and discomfort, and remember the good in those seasons.
Scripture however cautions us of romanticising about the past, as Solomon said, “Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?” For it is not from wisdom that you ask this” Ecclesiastes 7:10.
The reality is that every generation has its good times and bad times. Every season in life has its blessings and its challenges, and the voice of wisdom calls us to count our blessings and appreciate all that we have in the present.
As I reflected on some of what I thought were pleasant experiences, I was reminded that even in those seasons, I prayed for a better future, which is the present.
A famous wise saying reads, “If you are depressed you are living in the past. If you are anxious you are living in the future. If you are at peace you are living in the present”.
Be grateful for how far the Lord has brought you and recount your many blessings with thankfulness and contentment.
Be encouraged.
Blessings,
Chris Eke
