You don’t have to be very old to have thoughts about the ‘good old days’. It seems like everyone, at some point in time in their lives, has a longing for this. So, a 12-year-old might remember the good old days when they didn’t have to go to school or when they rode around on their dad’s shoulders. A young parent might remember the good old days when they didn’t have anything in life to be concerned about other than going to school. An empty-nester might remember the good old days when their house was filled with activity, laughter and children. A senior citizen might remember the good old days when their spouse was still alive or when they still had good health. So all of us have fond memories of the good old days. As I sometimes think about the good old days myself I have some questions about them. What makes them good? Were they really 'good'? Why do I long for the good old days?
First of all, the good old days are such because they are different from our present in a good way. Think about that. If our lives were exactly the same today as they were 5, 10, 20, 50 years ago, they wouldn’t necessarily be the good old days would they? No. They would be an extension of today. So, by definition, the good old days have to be different than today but in a better way. This could take any form. For example, a couple that has been married 20 years and doing quite well financially might not be very close. So they may remember the good old days when they had no money but were closer to each other. Or a person might recall with fondness the good old days when a friend was alive or still involved in their lives who is not currently. So in every longing for the good old days there is something good in our past that is not now in our present.
Secondly, as to whether the good old days were really 'good' is a complicated answer. Strictly speaking, if we are talking about just remembering past good times, then the good old days were indeed good. However, most of the time when we remember the good old days we take them out of context. For example, we remember the good old days when we had no other responsibilities other than just going to school. But we forget how hard the homework was. Or a teacher who gave us a hard time. Or the pressure of daily trying to ‘fit in’. Or the acne that we tried so desperately to hide. Or we might remember the good old days when our children were toddlers. We somehow forget the periodic temper tantrums that they threw. In the store. At church. We forget about those nights when we lost sleep because they were sick. Those times when they fought with each other. And the neighbor’s children. This is what is known as a selective memory and what it does is make the past much more appealing to us now than it was when were actually living it.
In addition, we forget about the larger context of what was taking place outside our lives. So we forget that the Viet Nam War or Desert Storm was raging during those good old days. That it was a time when we didn’t know whether we, or a loved one, might lose their life on foreign soil. We forget about the threat of Communism and how real it was. We forget that Aunt Margaret was battling cancer or that new tax increases were being put into effect. Again, we remember certain select events and experiences of the past but fail to remember their larger context. This creates an artificial 'good old days' that probably wasn't as good as we think they were.
Thirdly, I believe that we all long for the good old days because we have a longing for eternity. In Ecclesiastes 3:11 we are told that God "has set eternity in the human heart". We like it when life is good. We want it to stay that way. Perpetually good. We all secretly long for good old days that will never end. That could be one definition of heaven, couldn’t it?
The thing for us to keep in mind is that today is going to be tomorrow’s good old days! That’s right. Think about it for a moment. As imperfect as our lives are right now, with all the problems, concerns and fears, we are going to look back on them at some point in the future as the good old days! If this is the case, then we ought to learn to enjoy each day now! As Psalm 118:24 says, “This is the day which the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
First of all, the good old days are such because they are different from our present in a good way. Think about that. If our lives were exactly the same today as they were 5, 10, 20, 50 years ago, they wouldn’t necessarily be the good old days would they? No. They would be an extension of today. So, by definition, the good old days have to be different than today but in a better way. This could take any form. For example, a couple that has been married 20 years and doing quite well financially might not be very close. So they may remember the good old days when they had no money but were closer to each other. Or a person might recall with fondness the good old days when a friend was alive or still involved in their lives who is not currently. So in every longing for the good old days there is something good in our past that is not now in our present.
Secondly, as to whether the good old days were really 'good' is a complicated answer. Strictly speaking, if we are talking about just remembering past good times, then the good old days were indeed good. However, most of the time when we remember the good old days we take them out of context. For example, we remember the good old days when we had no other responsibilities other than just going to school. But we forget how hard the homework was. Or a teacher who gave us a hard time. Or the pressure of daily trying to ‘fit in’. Or the acne that we tried so desperately to hide. Or we might remember the good old days when our children were toddlers. We somehow forget the periodic temper tantrums that they threw. In the store. At church. We forget about those nights when we lost sleep because they were sick. Those times when they fought with each other. And the neighbor’s children. This is what is known as a selective memory and what it does is make the past much more appealing to us now than it was when were actually living it.
In addition, we forget about the larger context of what was taking place outside our lives. So we forget that the Viet Nam War or Desert Storm was raging during those good old days. That it was a time when we didn’t know whether we, or a loved one, might lose their life on foreign soil. We forget about the threat of Communism and how real it was. We forget that Aunt Margaret was battling cancer or that new tax increases were being put into effect. Again, we remember certain select events and experiences of the past but fail to remember their larger context. This creates an artificial 'good old days' that probably wasn't as good as we think they were.
Thirdly, I believe that we all long for the good old days because we have a longing for eternity. In Ecclesiastes 3:11 we are told that God "has set eternity in the human heart". We like it when life is good. We want it to stay that way. Perpetually good. We all secretly long for good old days that will never end. That could be one definition of heaven, couldn’t it?
The thing for us to keep in mind is that today is going to be tomorrow’s good old days! That’s right. Think about it for a moment. As imperfect as our lives are right now, with all the problems, concerns and fears, we are going to look back on them at some point in the future as the good old days! If this is the case, then we ought to learn to enjoy each day now! As Psalm 118:24 says, “This is the day which the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
Lord, thank you for the good old days of my past. Special events. Special people. However, help me to also remember that those good old days were also filled with their share of fear. Doubt. Pain. Uncertainty. The reality is that they weren't always all that good. Help me to enjoy each moment of my life now and to look forward to Heaven where every day will be a good day! In Jesus' name, Amen.
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