We’ve all heard the phrase “the good ole days” especially when folks are bemoaning the present and the state of the world and society. We exclaim or think to ourselves, man life was so much better in the ________s. (Insert the decade or era of your choice). And look, for those of you who don’t know me personally, I’m a professor of history by trade so loving and sometimes even wanting to live in the past I totally get. But we must be careful glorifying the past.
Solomon teaches us it is not wise to even ask the question or make the statement, “why were former days better than these!?” He tell us that question, that life approach, that attitude – well – it is not rooted in wisdom. In other words, it is not a question the wise ask to dwell on in their minds.
Why? I’d like to propose a few reasons.
⌛️The former days were in fact most likely not better. You’ve just altered them in your memory or created a mythical version of that time in your mind. One decade often used in this think is the 1950s. (Who doesn’t love a good poodle skirt and Elvis record?) But the truth of the 1950s is it had its own very serious problems. Segregation and race violence. Prejudice toward immigrant groups. McCarthyism rounding up or destroying the lives of innocent people. The Korean War. The Beginning of the Nuclear Arms Race. And that’s just to name a few. Each era and each period of time has it own serious problems and struggles. Solomon teaches us that – there is nothing new under the sun and nothing that will be hasn’t been.
⌛️When we ask this question, the attitude we have about the current state of affairs or social climate or culture or government is often very negative. In other words, this question is rooted in negativity. Instead of seeing the world through a glass half empty approach, we should see the world through a glass half full. The world is a wicked and evil place – there’s no denying it. And, Solomon and David teach us this in the Psalms and Proverbs. But they also teach us to look for the good and the opportunities in the dark to shine God’s glory and wisdom. Even one match provides light to an entirely dark room. So, while we can acknowledge the wickedness of the world, don’t dwell on it. Instead, look at it as an opportunity to shine your life for God.
⌛️This question can often demonstrate a lack of trust in God and His sovereignty. We want to go back to the better days because we are scared or worried about the future days. And, that’s natural. But the catch here is that when we ask this question we are seeking security and stability in the past. We are attempting to take refuge in the past when instead we should be turning to God for all those things. And this question, if we ask or think it enough, eventually leads us to questioning God’s sovereignty in this world. How could God let this happen? Etc. We need to remember – God is in control no matter what. And it’s not the past that we should turn to in hopes it will provide us security in present times of trouble, it is God. (And the bonus for turning to God instead of the past is He WILL provide us stability.)
⌛️Finally, this question can often lead to an attitude problem. It can lead us to being ungrateful for the things we have and the blessings in our present time. We develop an ungrateful attitude because nothing in the present time seems to be positive. All we long for is the past. No matter the era we live in, God has blessed us. We need to focus on those blessings and not lose sight of all the good things God is doing for us.
Don’t get me wrong – I love the past and history. I tell my students all the time. We don’t know the future and we are experiencing the present which means all we have to learn from and reflect on is the past. There is value in remembering the old days and learning from them. But we need to be careful not to turn the past into a myth. We need to avoid using the past as a source of comfort or stability. We need be grateful for the blessings and time God has given us now. We must use our time our earth to shine God’s glory.
The world is a dark and wicked place. And it has always been and will be until the Lord returns. We need to use our time on earth wisely by focusing on what we can do for God now.
Adonai's Appeal 