We all know those who live in the past. Some reminisce about the 1950s, when times were simpler for most people. They grow nostalgic for a time when they could leave their doors unlocked and they could let their children roam free without fear of danger. It could be someone in their 20s or 30s always trying to remain in the “glory days” of their high school career, when they were popular and successful before they had to start at the bottom of the “grownup world.”

When we do not share the nostalgia of these persons, we often pity them. They are stuck in the past and cannot live in the present day. The past, for us, is of little importance because the present is what is real. We agree with the words of Qohelet, “Do not say, ‘Why were the former days better than these?’ For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.” (Ecc. 7:10; NRSV).

Sometimes we make the opposite mistake of forgetting the past when the past has a direct impact on how we live in the present. In Deut. 8:11–20, Moses warned the Israelites of forgetting what Yahweh had done for them in Egypt and the wilderness. He liberated them, provided for them, and conquered their enemies. Yet the comforts of the present may cause them to forget the past and grow arrogant. They would think that they had made themselves great and that they were the cause of their success.

Remembering the past can help us stay humble. We recognize all the help we received from others and know that we are not the key to our own success. Others have provided us with opportunities, and we merely took them. Like the Israelites, God has redeemed us from the house of slavery, he continues to guide us through the wilderness and provide for us, he has defeated our enemies in the past and will continue to do so. Sadly, we are also like the Israelites when we forget what God has done for us and his commandments that he has given to us. Therefore, we must remember Jesus’ sacrifice at least once a week during the Lord’s Supper. We must count our blessings every day and thank our Divine Benefactor. Forgetfulness leads to ingratitude, ingratitude to pride, and pride to sinfulness. Conversely, remembrance leads to thankfulness, thankfulness to humility, and humility to godliness.