The Now Hour

I believe it is far better to live in the “now hour” than to continually dwell on past situations.  We often call this kind of memory-based reflection “20/20 hindsight”— “I should have done this,” or “I shouldn’t have done that.”  To one degree or another, I think we all experience it.  That is the remarkable power of the human mind and its ability to recall the past.

If we are not careful, however, reminiscing can become an unhealthy obsession that robs us of peace in the present—the now hour.  The past is the past, and we cannot change what has already happened or what never happened.  Unless we could somehow step into a time machine and go back—which, ironically, might make us the very cause of what went wrong—we cannot rewrite history.  It is what it is.  The past cannot be changed, but it can certainly teach us valuable lessons.

Sadly, many people live in a prison of their own making.  They lack peace, resolution, and victory in the present because they are held captive by the past.  “I call this ‘Memory Reflex’—the habit of repeatedly revisiting the past in ways that produce anxiety rather than growth.”  It’s a cycle of anxious reflection that casts shadows over today’s life and can negatively affect both the mind and the nervous system.

Constantly revisiting memories that serve no constructive purpose can hinder relationships, stunt spiritual growth, and even diminish our sensitivity to the work of the Holy Spirit.

Scripture reminds us in 1 Corinthians 12:10: “He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy.  He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit.  Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said.”

There is, however, one meaningful reason to look back.  Before I came to know Jesus Christ, I was a sinner in need of His grace.  Looking back reminds me of how misguided I once was and how easily I was influenced by the powers of darkness.  Evil thrives in darkness, but Christ calls us into His marvelous light.

When unbelievers honestly examine their past apart from Christ, they may recognize that the pursuits they trusted never produced lasting peace.  They may see the emptiness of a life separated from God and realize that true peace is found only in Jesus Christ.

Today is the day of salvation.  In the now hour, anyone who turns to God in repentance and asks for forgiveness can receive His mercy and begin a new life.  They no longer need to be imprisoned by the past because God forgives completely.  He is the God of today, the God of all our tomorrows, and the God of eternity.

Written by,

Papa Boyd