Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3: 13 – 14
There can be a tendency when things are not going well to look back with wistful longing to the past, to happier times whether real or perceived and then try and re-live them to find happiness in our time of trouble.
There is of course a place to rejoice over happy memories or be inspired by things God has said or done in the past. I love to go back over my journal to encourage myself with things God has said, especially if I’m finding life tough. I also have a love affair with photos whether digital or hard copies. I can re-live with great pleasure past times and holidays.
The difficulty arises when that rejoicing and celebrating turns into something far less helpful – a strong desire to return to those days. Times past can always look a lot rosier than they actually were especially if you are struggling today.
The Israelites had that difficulty in the desert. Things were not going well and for the umpteenth time they complained to Moses, egged on by the ‘rabble’ …the Israelites started wailing and said, ‘If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost – also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!’ Numbers 11: 4 – 6. How quickly the Israelites forgot their slavery and the misery it brought.
Happy memories need to be just that – memories not a lifestyle. They also need to be realistic, unlike the Israelites faulty recollections.
About 20 years ago our church ran an annual conference when well-known Christian speakers came and ministered. The whole church was involved in the arrangements. It was such fun, so refreshing and inspirational and when church can be a bit of a struggle, the temptation to desire to return to those days is great. But that was then and this is now. We are no longer the people we were and we can never re-create those days. We can appreciate them but we must move on.
Moving on is also something that churches can find hard. When things are going swimmingly it is great temptation to not just linger but put down roots.
Peter and John had that trouble at the Transfiguration. It was so fantastic, so incredibly amazing that Peter wanted to build huts for them all to live in. But the purpose of the Transfiguration was not to create a monument and a place to stay but to encourage Jesus for the tough road ahead. Peter and John were so privileged to get a front row seat. However Jesus knew there was still a valley full of needy people below that he needed to return to before facing the gruelling reality of the cross.
Churches fossilise if they stay put in what they prefer instead of pushing into the new and unfortunately there are many denominations and churches that bear testimony to this. God’s ‘mercies are new every morning’ and he encourages is to pray ‘Give us this day our daily bread’. His mercies and daily bread are always fresh and usually different from yesterday’s.
Whilst God is unchanging, we are not meant to be either as individuals or as churches. God is calling us into a lifestyle of transformation into the image of Jesus and as a body of transforming people, our churches will also inevitably transform.
It can be hard to let go of a seemingly happy past to walk into the uncertainty of the future. But as Christians we have one great advantage. We don’t go alone. Jesus is firmly holding our hand and is walking with us every step of the way. We need never fear the future if we trust God with the path ahead.
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