The Good Old Days

From time to time, people tell me, “I miss the good old days.”  They usually mean that they miss a time in the past when things were better than they are now.  They miss a time when everyone lived with good morals and a sense of common decency.   

I have a hard time relating to that statement.  “The good old days” never existed in the Payne house.  My parents and grandparents didn’t know Jesus until later in life.  Before Jesus, their lives and relationships were filled with challenges.  They will be the first to tell you that the good old days were actually quite difficult days for the Paynes. 

Because of Jesus, my family will also tell you that their best days are not behind them.  Because of Jesus, there is no such thing as “the good old days.”  Christ has arrived, saving His people from sin.  Because of the work of the Holy Spirit, we are being made into His image until He returns.  The good old days are the days Jesus is preparing us for now.   

In the Bible, God tells the prophet Isaiah, “Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing!  Now, it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”  God tells His people to not get distracted by the past, but focus on the good work God is doing right now.  And, look forward to what God is going to do in the days to come.

As you go through the coming week, see how God is creating the “good old days” in the here and now.  Recognize all He is doing to make you into His image.  Joyfully anticipate where He is leading you, your loved ones, and the future generations of your family.  God is doing a new thing in Jesus, through His Spirit.  It is far better than anything the good, old days could ever offer.