We all reflect but the question becomes what are we reflecting about. Now you will remember this statement I am sure “well back in the day when I was...”. Maybe, the always popular “when I was growing up...”. I think you get the idea and that is this, we all reflect because we have things to reflect about. We may or may not do so publicly, but we reflect often in life.
What causes us to reflect? For as many as there are reading this today, there are that many and more things that cause us to reflect. For the sake though of simplicity, reflection is just looking into our life and seeing what it is we have done and what we are doing now.
The now part is what is the most important in life. I can learn from my mistakes or successes as I reflect back on them. I can’t change what happened but I can learn now how to handle something differently than before. Certainly, that can assist me in altering how I do things so that in the future I don‘t repeat it as a mistake. Of course, on the other side of the coin, I repeat the success I have had and create more successes.
When you think about it, how we live life is a reflection of our past, and it becomes a sketch for our future. To put this into perspective, we are doing life based on our reflections, good and bad, of our past. Listen, if we don’t make those daily adjustments, then we do so to our own demise.
Have you ever said “if I could do it over again I would...“, the chances are real good you have because we all do. Now that reflection is based on wanting a better outcome than the one from our past. Is there really anything you would do differently than you did? Well, no there isn’t because you made a decision based on what you knew then and not what you know now.
I know this starts to become a little bit too philosophical doesn’t it? I took a philosophy class in college and I never struggled with a course like I did in that one. Now, let me say that micro and macro economics certainly were also running for the top spot on that list.
So, back to what we are talking about today. Reflecting on our past is a healthy and necessary thing for us to do. When we read the Bible, we should do so in order to not make mistakes in our relationship with God. We can read story after story of failed lives because of not doing the right thing. If we read this properly, we can see that in a story there was no reflection as to correcting a past behavior or action that could have caused a better outcome.
What do you want from life and your relationship with God? I can tell you that for me it is to experience the greatness that is His. That as my creator, redeemer, father God is guiding me to a closer walk with Him. I can say that I have long since stopped asking God for things or outcomes. I only want what He wants and in whatever that is, at any given time, I will find myself content. It may cause me some anguish or even heartache but as Paul said in 2 Timothy 1:12 ”...for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” I may not have it covered but God does every time.
A thought to ponder,
Elbert Nasworthy
