The Former Days were Better than These?
Life “under the sun” begins with “rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes.” It ends as “the evil days come” and we say “I have no pleasure in them” (Ecc. 11:9; 12:1-5).
Not only do we experience change, so also does our world. The freedom of youth gives way to the stresses of an adult. Grandparents and parents age and die. Friends move away. The comfortable manners and attitudes of our generation give way to those of the next generation. The vigor of youth, and the anticipation of the future slowly give way to memories of days long past. As we see the dark days dawn, we have two choices. We can continue to look forward or we begin to look back with regret and sorrow for things that will never be again.
The dark side of this nostalgia is pessimism or discouragement. Even the best parts of it can be dangerous and God warned us to avoid it. “Do not say, Why were the former days better than these? For you do not inquire wisely concerning this” (Ecc. 7:10).
Though those living in the dark days know their former days were better, God wants them to ignore it. He wants us to live in the present and plan for the future. There is too much today to waste time on yesterday. What might have been and what was must not compete with what can be. Listen to Paul: “forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, ... press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13-14).
There is a great temptation for some in the church to want to live in the past and say “the former days were better than these.” The changes in our nation in a few generations have been profound. Along with our outer man, the morals and ethics of our nation have also decayed. The absolutes of truth we learned in our youth are now mocked. Honesty, integrity and hard work are giving way to selfish disregard for the needs of others.
It is easy to bemoan the good old days in evangelism. In the 1950's, gospel meetings, Jule Miller filmstrips and cottage classes converted tens of thousands. A knowledge of Bible authority, denominational doctrines, and the plan of salvation would equip one to go into all the world and preach the gospel. All one needed to do in those days was ask to study the Bible. It was easy to get classes and many turned out positive. Most churches baptized ten or more each year, quickly growing from small groups into large assemblies. Those days are now gone and those methods are no longer as effective.
We are not the first generation to see things change so quickly. As Israel left Egypt, that generation was rebellious and died in the wilderness. Only Joshua and Caleb lived to see Canaan where “Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua” (Josh. 24:31). Yet those who took Canaan lived to see “another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD” (Judg. 2:10-11). What a bitter time to live through.
David and Solomon brought Jerusalem to its zenith, yet the next generation saw Jeroboam lead the ten tribes into apostasy. How tempting to see the former days as better when “the Levites left their common- lands and their possessions and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them from serving as priests” (2Chr. 11:14)? Yet to become bitter or despondent would change nothing. It is difficult to joyously serve the Lord while bemoaning the former days.
In the early days of the church, young men saw it grow under the apostles’ inspired teaching. It must have been an exciting time. Yet those same men saw Jerusalem destroyed and a terrible persecution that martyred many of the godliest in the church. As their outer man decayed they saw the church weaken and stray into apostasy. Yet God still needed them to continue their labor.
Though the returns were meager, God needed Moses to lead that wicked generation toward Canaan. He needed Noah to bring Shem, Ham and Japheth into the purged world after the flood.
This is what God needs us to do. He knows we can’t control the changes in our body and mind or the attitudes of a new generation. But he wants us to be active, living with the present challenges and working as hard as we can regardless of obstacles or changes now barring the way. We must seek the wisdom to make whatever adjustments are needed to continue to be the light of the world and salt of the earth. The gospel must be preached as effectively as possible in every generation.
So what will we do? Bemoan the weakness of our body and the ungodliness of our age and do nothing? Or, will we “forget those things which are behind and reach forward to those things which are ahead?”
Not only do we experience change, so also does our world. The freedom of youth gives way to the stresses of an adult. Grandparents and parents age and die. Friends move away. The comfortable manners and attitudes of our generation give way to those of the next generation. The vigor of youth, and the anticipation of the future slowly give way to memories of days long past. As we see the dark days dawn, we have two choices. We can continue to look forward or we begin to look back with regret and sorrow for things that will never be again.
The dark side of this nostalgia is pessimism or discouragement. Even the best parts of it can be dangerous and God warned us to avoid it. “Do not say, Why were the former days better than these? For you do not inquire wisely concerning this” (Ecc. 7:10).
Though those living in the dark days know their former days were better, God wants them to ignore it. He wants us to live in the present and plan for the future. There is too much today to waste time on yesterday. What might have been and what was must not compete with what can be. Listen to Paul: “forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, ... press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13-14).
There is a great temptation for some in the church to want to live in the past and say “the former days were better than these.” The changes in our nation in a few generations have been profound. Along with our outer man, the morals and ethics of our nation have also decayed. The absolutes of truth we learned in our youth are now mocked. Honesty, integrity and hard work are giving way to selfish disregard for the needs of others.
It is easy to bemoan the good old days in evangelism. In the 1950's, gospel meetings, Jule Miller filmstrips and cottage classes converted tens of thousands. A knowledge of Bible authority, denominational doctrines, and the plan of salvation would equip one to go into all the world and preach the gospel. All one needed to do in those days was ask to study the Bible. It was easy to get classes and many turned out positive. Most churches baptized ten or more each year, quickly growing from small groups into large assemblies. Those days are now gone and those methods are no longer as effective.
We are not the first generation to see things change so quickly. As Israel left Egypt, that generation was rebellious and died in the wilderness. Only Joshua and Caleb lived to see Canaan where “Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua” (Josh. 24:31). Yet those who took Canaan lived to see “another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD” (Judg. 2:10-11). What a bitter time to live through.
David and Solomon brought Jerusalem to its zenith, yet the next generation saw Jeroboam lead the ten tribes into apostasy. How tempting to see the former days as better when “the Levites left their common- lands and their possessions and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them from serving as priests” (2Chr. 11:14)? Yet to become bitter or despondent would change nothing. It is difficult to joyously serve the Lord while bemoaning the former days.
In the early days of the church, young men saw it grow under the apostles’ inspired teaching. It must have been an exciting time. Yet those same men saw Jerusalem destroyed and a terrible persecution that martyred many of the godliest in the church. As their outer man decayed they saw the church weaken and stray into apostasy. Yet God still needed them to continue their labor.
Though the returns were meager, God needed Moses to lead that wicked generation toward Canaan. He needed Noah to bring Shem, Ham and Japheth into the purged world after the flood.
This is what God needs us to do. He knows we can’t control the changes in our body and mind or the attitudes of a new generation. But he wants us to be active, living with the present challenges and working as hard as we can regardless of obstacles or changes now barring the way. We must seek the wisdom to make whatever adjustments are needed to continue to be the light of the world and salt of the earth. The gospel must be preached as effectively as possible in every generation.
So what will we do? Bemoan the weakness of our body and the ungodliness of our age and do nothing? Or, will we “forget those things which are behind and reach forward to those things which are ahead?”