Today I was sitting in my favorite little coffee shop/Anglican church (yeah, just mull over that one for a little bit) and I thought of a song that I had heard countless times on the radio. Quite honestly I don't know the name of the song...in fact I don't even know the name of the artist! I do, however, remember a key part of the chorus that got me thinking.
I gave this phrase some thought and tried to be fair in my assessment of it. It is important to note that this over generalized statement may not be said the way the artist intended, but then again it might. Let's just take the statement for as it is structured, and ultimately it says "Your past doesn't matter, it's all about the present and the future." This statement/ideology is growing in it's use among church-goers as a way of easing the minds of those plagued by guilt and feelings of condemnation. It is often attached to the verse "There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1), but is that how we are supposed to view the past? Also, why is it that this statement is only used in reference to having a shady past or a less than desirable background? While I'm not trying to negate scripture, I am trying to say that we are possibly adding to what is actually there. No, there is no condemnation for those who are of the redeemed, but that does not mean that the past doesn't matter or is to be forgotten. It means we have hope for the present and the future and we have a God who guides us and uses our past to make us new.
The problem with this ideology is that it numbs us to reality, to long term consequences, and personal responsibility. It also feeds the foolish, self-centered, and arrogant belief that one deserves a second chance, that world owes them for all their suffering, or that no one should think badly of them. Lost in the depths of a postmodern society, people begin to ignore truth, fact, and honest acceptance of what is their lives...unless it's good of course.
The fact is that "where I've been" was once "where I was going" and "what I'm doing" will one day be "where I've been" and "what I've done". This ideology implodes on itself and in the end states that everything that matters is in the future, but we all know that the future will soon be in the past. It is inevitable that all future will be in the past. So life is pointless altogether!
But this life does have value! We still have life, which is a gift of God! We have a purpose in life, we were designed for life on Earth, and therefore we must learn to make the most of life as we have it, and part of our lives, a significant part, is our past. When we forget who we were, our testimonies mean nothing and we lose sight of grace and beauty...and our worship of God suffers. When we ignore the past, we amputate a part of ourselves and go throughout the rest of our lives with a proverbial limp, unable to function at the fullest of our capacity because we failed to deal with the emotions and situations that have so deeply shaped who have become.
My life is no exception to this. After many years I've learned a great deal about the damage that can come about through ignoring one's past and not facing it head on. For years I tried to ignore it and run from it, and all I got in return was a build up of bitterness and anger, as well as an increasing numbness to those around me, even the ones I love. Life is too short for us to live our lives enslaved by the past, and we only overthrow the past by facing it head on, and by being willing to accept the pain and suffering that come with doing so.
"It don't matter where you been, only where you're going. It don't matter what you've done, only what you're doing."
(Exact wording may be off, especially since Google searches have yielded no help in discovering the name of the song or artist)Ok, so it doesn't matter where you've been or what you've done? Go and tell the owner of a local business that as you turn in an application. I wouldn't be surprised if you got laughed out of the store and had your application thrown away, especially considering 50% or more of your application is based off of past experiences, work history, and criminal record. Your past means a lot in the business world, and whether you like it or not, it means a lot in the church world as well.
I gave this phrase some thought and tried to be fair in my assessment of it. It is important to note that this over generalized statement may not be said the way the artist intended, but then again it might. Let's just take the statement for as it is structured, and ultimately it says "Your past doesn't matter, it's all about the present and the future." This statement/ideology is growing in it's use among church-goers as a way of easing the minds of those plagued by guilt and feelings of condemnation. It is often attached to the verse "There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1), but is that how we are supposed to view the past? Also, why is it that this statement is only used in reference to having a shady past or a less than desirable background? While I'm not trying to negate scripture, I am trying to say that we are possibly adding to what is actually there. No, there is no condemnation for those who are of the redeemed, but that does not mean that the past doesn't matter or is to be forgotten. It means we have hope for the present and the future and we have a God who guides us and uses our past to make us new.
The problem with this ideology is that it numbs us to reality, to long term consequences, and personal responsibility. It also feeds the foolish, self-centered, and arrogant belief that one deserves a second chance, that world owes them for all their suffering, or that no one should think badly of them. Lost in the depths of a postmodern society, people begin to ignore truth, fact, and honest acceptance of what is their lives...unless it's good of course.
The fact is that "where I've been" was once "where I was going" and "what I'm doing" will one day be "where I've been" and "what I've done". This ideology implodes on itself and in the end states that everything that matters is in the future, but we all know that the future will soon be in the past. It is inevitable that all future will be in the past. So life is pointless altogether!
But this life does have value! We still have life, which is a gift of God! We have a purpose in life, we were designed for life on Earth, and therefore we must learn to make the most of life as we have it, and part of our lives, a significant part, is our past. When we forget who we were, our testimonies mean nothing and we lose sight of grace and beauty...and our worship of God suffers. When we ignore the past, we amputate a part of ourselves and go throughout the rest of our lives with a proverbial limp, unable to function at the fullest of our capacity because we failed to deal with the emotions and situations that have so deeply shaped who have become.
My life is no exception to this. After many years I've learned a great deal about the damage that can come about through ignoring one's past and not facing it head on. For years I tried to ignore it and run from it, and all I got in return was a build up of bitterness and anger, as well as an increasing numbness to those around me, even the ones I love. Life is too short for us to live our lives enslaved by the past, and we only overthrow the past by facing it head on, and by being willing to accept the pain and suffering that come with doing so.
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