Everyone has a past. St. Augustine said, “There is no saint without a past and no sinner without a future.” Everyone has a past. One option is to ignore the past. Another option is to live in the past. The best choice is to honor the past.
When we honor our past, we become grateful people. We remember the people who have helped us along the way. We understand that when we succeed, we stand on the shoulders of giants. Grateful people are happier people. Grateful people are nice to be around.
When we honor the past, we learn. A lot of the wisdom that comes with age is simply the desire not to repeat the same mistakes again. Honoring the past means valuing the lessons acquired through experience.
Perhaps the best reason to honor the past is to recall the mighty acts of the Lord. God has been faithful. God has saved his people again and again. When we find ourselves in a difficult situation, we remember that God has rescued us before and he will do it again.
In our sermon this Sunday we will look at how grownups honor their past.