Wherever I have ministered throughout my life it doesn’t take long for someone to bring up, “the good ole days.” Think about it. We’ve all heard of the grandparent who bemoans the state of things in the world today and follows up with a treatise about how much better it was when he or she was growing up. You’d hear things like:
- Kids would play outside from morning till night and parents never gave it a second thought.
- Kids didn’t need to be geared up in the latest technological tracking mechanisms or carry an iphone complete with the “find my phone” app that was really going to be used as a “track my kid” app.
- We had honor and respect.
- We had commitment and fortitude.
- We loved our country and respected the flag.
And on and on it goes.
In fact, this familiar dance has been going on for so many generations I am convinced it would be difficult if not impossible to ever determine who lived in the mythical “best generation.” But, if I had to give it a try I think I might just take a different approach all together. Rather than looking at external factors like patriotism, commitment and honor—all somewhat external signs—I would want to examine the hearts of the people. As I read scripture I see the “good ole days” far more often tethered to a people whose hearts were fully devoted to God than I see the good ole days tied to economics, opportunity, or political persuasion. But lest I get all puffed up in my incredible discovery, the following verse tells me God has known this all along…
“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 4:23
We don’t really use phrases like, “wellspring of life” these days. We’d be far more inclined to refer to this state of being as, ‘really living,” “yolo,” or even, “the good ole days.”
So, the next time I’m tempted to lament the current condition of my life, and before I hunker down and blame everyone else, I think I’ll examine my own heart. I might just be in need of a transplant.