09-16-23

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
September 16, 2023
Have you ever come across an idea that initially catches your attention and then, as time passes, it gnaws on your soul like a dog gnaws on a bone? This happened to me recently when I read some words belonging to George Bernard Shaw. He wrote, "We are made wise not by the recollection of our past but by the responsibility for our future." I can’t say for sure if I know exactly what Shaw meant by those words, but as they have gnawed on me for a few weeks, I find within them a good reminder. The past can teach us great things, but wisdom is not found in the ability to recite the happenings of the past. Wisdom is seen when we take those learnings from the past and put them to work for the sake of the future—a future that more clearly resembles God’s vision and hope. In Proverbs 3:13-14, we read:

Happy are those who find wisdom, and those who get understanding, for her income is better than silver, and her revenue better than gold.

Assist me, Holy Creator, as I take what the past has taught me and implement these learnings for the building of your future. Amen.