The Doorpost: Forgetting the 'good old days'

Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?” For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.
Ecclesiastes 7:10

Remember the ”good old days”?

When we face cares and concerns in our lives, we often seem to suffer nostalgic amnesia. “What is the world coming to?” we ask, fondly remembering the supposed good in the past and forgetting the many problems.

The writer of Ecclesiastes warns that this is not wise.

In the third chapter of Philippians, Paul tells what he thought about his considerable past achievements and how he approached the future, even though he was in jail.

Verses 7 and 8 say, “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord ...”

Verses 13 and 14 say, “... But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Regardless of our past accomplishments or status, our top priority as we confront challenges must be knowing Christ, straining in everything toward the goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.