Learning…Living…Looking
I have the privilege of serving as a counselor every summer during Teen Week at Indian Creek Youth Camp. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Teen Week at ICYC. As such, the week has been geared toward a thought of reunion. We are reminiscing about the memories that we have made and those who have influenced us through the years. We are grateful for the opportunities that exist for us in this present time. With eager longing, we look forward to whatever future blessings God may grant unto us if He allows us the privilege of continuing to impact lives each summer at ICYC. How can we learn to appreciate the past, use the present, and long for the future so that our lives might be molded into what God would have us to become?
We must learn from the past. The old adage states that experience is a valuable teacher. Scripture plainly teaches the value of learning from the past (1 Cor.10:6, 11; Rom.15:4). Those who fail to learn from their own mistakes as well as the mistakes of others are doomed to repeat them. It is often worthwhile to look back at the struggles we have been through, the obstacles we have overcome, the sins which we have committed, and notice the effect these have had in shaping us into the people we are today.
We must live in the present. The only time that we are guaranteed is the moment of time we call today. While we learn from the past, we live in the present. As the past is our teacher, the present is a treasure. The Psalmist reminds us that “[T]his is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psa.118:24). Each day is a precious treasure from the hands of a Benevolent Father (Jas.1:17), and as such, He desires and expects for us to use today to His honor and glory. We have no promise of tomorrow (Prov.27:1). That life is fleeting is a recurring theme in Scripture (Jas.4:14; Psa.90:10). The call from the word of God is sounded out repeatedly: honor and obey God today, lest the opportunity be forever lost (Heb.3:13; 2 Cor.6:2; John 9:4).
We must look toward the future. Though tomorrow is promised to no one, we must not live as though there are no repercussions outside of today. If the past is our teacher, and the present is a treasure, the future is our target. We know not what the morrow holds, but we know Who holds tomorrow! God holds the future in His hands, which is precisely the same place in which our souls should be found (John 10:29). An old saying that is all too often lived is that most people don’t plan to fail—they fail to plan. Have you ever watched a world-class athlete compete, and wonder how it is that he/she seemed to react instinctively to make the play? They are playing out scenarios in their minds, ready to react in a way that the situation dictates. What if the ball is hit to me? What if the play unfolds this way or that way? They are constantly thinking ahead, planning their next move. What if God allows me to see tomorrow? Have I been thinking ahead, planning my next step with God? While we must look toward the immediate future (What will I eat for breakfast tomorrow?), and make plans for the long-range future (What occupation will I choose? What are my retirement plans?), we must do so with a view toward our eternal future. Plan your future with God in mind (Jas.4:15; Luke 12:16-20). If we will allow ourselves to learn from the past through God, live the present to God, and map out a future with God, our lives will truly be what God would have them to be.
-Patrick Morrison
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