"I still remember the despondency he had when he first came."
As Christians we don't look back to see the glory days nor do we look back longingly. We look back to learn and to remember where we came from. We learn from our mistakes. Hindsight is truly 20/20 as they say.
When we can look back and remember where we came from it helps us. First of all it helps us appreciate our salvation. It gives us a heart of gratitude that God would send Jesus to take our punishment. It makes us thank God He saved us and took us out of the bondage and sin we were in.
Second it helps us stay humble. No matter how great or small we thought we were before salvation we were lost and couldn't help ourselves. Some of us didn't even know we needed help! But God knew. So we see our need and it sends us humbly to the feet of Jesus. That is what true humility is; total dependency on God.
Finally it helps us look forward. We keep our focus where it needs to be when we are humble and grateful. We can tell others of how God saved us and gave us real life.
I think of the guy I was talking about in my quote from last year. Caught up in all kinds of sin. He and his wife were cheating on each other and he was was ready to end his own life. We prayed together in the foyer of the church and he cried all over me. His life hasn't been perfect since but he is following the Lord and trying to be the husband and father he should be. When I last met with him we looked back together. In the midst of his current problems he had a smile and was in faith for his future.
As we look back let's be grateful, humble, and look forward with eyes of faith.
What does looking back do for you? How does it help you to live now?
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