Memories
We have a one-year-old great grandson who is a joy to be around. His parents gave me a book to tell him about the things of my past. The book is called “Grandpa, Tell me your story.” There are questions asked in the book like where were you born? Where did you go to school? Where did you meet grandma? What is your favorite color? It has been fun filling in the pages with the information that will be preserved for him.
Some of the memories that we have are good while others are not worth spending time on. And yet, I’m sure that the bad memories overcome the good at times.
Saul of Tarsus made it his aim to destroy the church of Christ. He traveled around with the authority to arrest Christians and have them put into prison. Many of these Christians lost their lives. And then one day, Jesus appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus where he was going to arrest others who believed in Jesus. After three says of no sight, waiting in Damascus to be told what to do, a man named Ananias came to him and said, “And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.” Acts 22:16
During those three days I wonder what Paul thought about? The scriptures do not tell us, but he was fasting and praying. Did he realize that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God? Did he think about Stephen whose death he was consenting to in Acts 7? Did he think of others who had been separated from their families and put into prison? I think these are some of the thoughts he could have had.
Saul’s name was changed to Paul. He became a zealous proclaimer of Jesus and established churches of Christ wherever he went. He would write most of our New Testament.
There is an interesting passage in Philippians 3:13.14, “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Notice the phrase “forgetting what lies behind.” Paul did not rely on the bad things that had happened in his life. He lived and sacrificed for God. Those were the only memories that were important to him.
I want to encourage all of us to not let bad past experiences destroy us. Let’s live for Christ Jesus and serve Him only each day we have breath in our body. Cherish the good memories, learn from the bad. Be all that you can be for the Savior.