“Then the whole community began weeping aloud, and they cried all night. Their voices rose in a great chorus of protest against Moses and Aaron. “If only we had died in Egypt, or even here in the wilderness!” they complained.” (Numbers 14:1–2, NLT)
As one grows older, it is often common to romanticize the past. You look back on your life and get caught up in fond memories of good times. This nostalgic view of the past can bring forth a smile upon your face as you reminisce of days gone by. However, for some people this romanticized view of the past can become depressing or make one defeatist. If you get caught up in a bad kind of nostalgia, you might think that things will never be that good ever again. You might look at your life now and see only how your health has declined or you are no longer as capable, or you might discern that your weight has increased, or your face has more wrinkles. Some people can learn from the past or look fondly at the past. Others can be so caught up in the past that cannot see any good in their present situation. Spiritually, nostalgia can go either way.
In the scripture for today, the Israelites were encamped in the wilderness. Because the terrain was difficult and the food was scarce, the people began to reminisce about their lives in Egypt. In view of their present living conditions, they longed to be back in Egypt. Stuck in their pity party, they “cried all night” long (Numbers 14:1). Their romanticized view of life in Egypt made them “protest against Moses and Aaron”. They blamed their leaders and God for their present challenges (Numbers 14:2). Instead of remembering how God saving them from making bricks for Pharaoh, they only cared to complain about their present situation. Like spoiled children, their tantrum before God was recorded as a warning to all generations.
You see, once the Israelites began to romanticize their view of Egypt while blaming God for their difficult circumstances, their criticisms took an evil spiritual turn. Their dissatisfaction in the wilderness drove them to reject God’s great actions in Egypt. They no longer talked about the great 10 plagues or the parting of the Red Sea. Instead, all they could focus on was how wonderful it was in Egypt. Let’s be honest, it wasn’t all roses in Egypt. They were slaves in Egypt. They suffered greatly. Still, after dealing with the conditions of the wilderness, the people were caught up in their evil nostalgia. It led them to complain about God and the faithful who were in charge.
Nostalgia is defined as “a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past”. When you get caught up in a rosy view of the past, it can manipulate your memories and change your view of what really happened. Some people are more susceptible to this. They look at the past with rose colored glasses wherein their actions seem loftier, and they can’t envision their own mistakes or failures or problems at the time. Caught up in this romanticized view, these people can sometimes become discontented with life or God or love or their wealth or health. This nostalgic type of sin can cause them to even reject the part God played in their safety or security or wisdom at the time.
It hit Darren hard when he was thirty-seven years old. He had always viewed his own father old when his father was forty. He didn’t want to be an “old forty”. He wanted to reclaim his youth. After a year when he had to buy new glasses for a deteriorating eyesight, stop jogging due to a bum knee, and buy some new clothes after he gained twenty pounds, Darren resolved himself to make some changes. He remembered how good he felt as the High School football star. He remembered how girls used to flock to his side at school events. Now, he was living with three teenage children who seemed to more trouble than they were worth and a wife who was fifty pounds heavier than when they married.
When Darren received a letter for his twentieth High School Reunion get-together, he made his mind up to look his best. He joined a local gym, lost twenty-five pounds, bought himself a brand new Corvette, and began to update his wardrobe to more modern tastes. When he went to the reunion, he looked great. He saw a woman there whom he dated in High School and began to flirt with her. She, being recently divorced, enjoyed the banter. It made her feel young again. Darren’s wife was absolutely shocked by her husband’s attitude and flirtations. She asked to leave the party. He refused. She left alone. From there, things went from bad to worse.
By the time Darren’s mid-life crisis was over, he had seriously damaged his marriage. His children had little respect for him. He was in debt up to his eyeballs. And he was miserable. Darren’s romanticized view of his past had driven a wedge between himself and his family. It caused him to spend more time at bars and night clubs than church. It ended up with him making a mess out of all he had accomplished up to that point in his life.
Upon reflecting on the scripture for today, John D. Barry wrote these words:
“Regret and nostalgia can destroy lives. They are mirrored ideas with the same pitfalls: neither can change the past, and both keep us from living in the present. When we live wishfully rather than interacting with the present, we’re bound to miss out and hurt others. Since other people don’t necessarily share our feelings about the past, they feel less important to us here and now. And indeed, we’re making them less important. We’re concerned instead with how things could have been or used to be.
This is precisely what happens after the Israelites flee Egypt: “Then all the community lifted up their voices, and the people wept during that night. And all the children of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and all the community said to them, ‘If only we had died in the land of Egypt or in this desert!’ ” (Num 14:1–2).
Nostalgia is dangerous: it causes us to forget the wretchedness of the past and exchange it for fond memories. We begin to focus on the good things and drift away from obedience in the process. Regret, too, is dangerous, as we wish we had never ended the good times but kept on living the life that was never good for us to begin with.” (Connect the Testaments; 2012)
Do you ever get a little too caught up in nostalgia? Do you like to complain a little too much about challenges in your life? Is it too easy to forget all that God has done for you in the past? Are you a little too prideful in your view of yourself? Be careful you don’t put on those rose-colored glasses. They can blind you from reality and God’s truth. They can cause you to complain when you should be thankful.
In the scripture for today, the Israelites were encamped in the wilderness. Because the terrain was difficult and the food was scarce, the people began to reminisce about their lives in Egypt. In view of their present living conditions, they longed to be back in Egypt. Stuck in their pity party, they “cried all night” long (Numbers 14:1). Their romanticized view of life in Egypt made them “protest against Moses and Aaron”. They blamed their leaders and God for their present challenges (Numbers 14:2). Instead of remembering how God saving them from making bricks for Pharaoh, they only cared to complain about their present situation. Like spoiled children, their tantrum before God was recorded as a warning to all generations.
You see, once the Israelites began to romanticize their view of Egypt while blaming God for their difficult circumstances, their criticisms took an evil spiritual turn. Their dissatisfaction in the wilderness drove them to reject God’s great actions in Egypt. They no longer talked about the great 10 plagues or the parting of the Red Sea. Instead, all they could focus on was how wonderful it was in Egypt. Let’s be honest, it wasn’t all roses in Egypt. They were slaves in Egypt. They suffered greatly. Still, after dealing with the conditions of the wilderness, the people were caught up in their evil nostalgia. It led them to complain about God and the faithful who were in charge.
Nostalgia is defined as “a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past”. When you get caught up in a rosy view of the past, it can manipulate your memories and change your view of what really happened. Some people are more susceptible to this. They look at the past with rose colored glasses wherein their actions seem loftier, and they can’t envision their own mistakes or failures or problems at the time. Caught up in this romanticized view, these people can sometimes become discontented with life or God or love or their wealth or health. This nostalgic type of sin can cause them to even reject the part God played in their safety or security or wisdom at the time.
It hit Darren hard when he was thirty-seven years old. He had always viewed his own father old when his father was forty. He didn’t want to be an “old forty”. He wanted to reclaim his youth. After a year when he had to buy new glasses for a deteriorating eyesight, stop jogging due to a bum knee, and buy some new clothes after he gained twenty pounds, Darren resolved himself to make some changes. He remembered how good he felt as the High School football star. He remembered how girls used to flock to his side at school events. Now, he was living with three teenage children who seemed to more trouble than they were worth and a wife who was fifty pounds heavier than when they married.
When Darren received a letter for his twentieth High School Reunion get-together, he made his mind up to look his best. He joined a local gym, lost twenty-five pounds, bought himself a brand new Corvette, and began to update his wardrobe to more modern tastes. When he went to the reunion, he looked great. He saw a woman there whom he dated in High School and began to flirt with her. She, being recently divorced, enjoyed the banter. It made her feel young again. Darren’s wife was absolutely shocked by her husband’s attitude and flirtations. She asked to leave the party. He refused. She left alone. From there, things went from bad to worse.
By the time Darren’s mid-life crisis was over, he had seriously damaged his marriage. His children had little respect for him. He was in debt up to his eyeballs. And he was miserable. Darren’s romanticized view of his past had driven a wedge between himself and his family. It caused him to spend more time at bars and night clubs than church. It ended up with him making a mess out of all he had accomplished up to that point in his life.
Upon reflecting on the scripture for today, John D. Barry wrote these words:
“Regret and nostalgia can destroy lives. They are mirrored ideas with the same pitfalls: neither can change the past, and both keep us from living in the present. When we live wishfully rather than interacting with the present, we’re bound to miss out and hurt others. Since other people don’t necessarily share our feelings about the past, they feel less important to us here and now. And indeed, we’re making them less important. We’re concerned instead with how things could have been or used to be.
This is precisely what happens after the Israelites flee Egypt: “Then all the community lifted up their voices, and the people wept during that night. And all the children of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and all the community said to them, ‘If only we had died in the land of Egypt or in this desert!’ ” (Num 14:1–2).
Nostalgia is dangerous: it causes us to forget the wretchedness of the past and exchange it for fond memories. We begin to focus on the good things and drift away from obedience in the process. Regret, too, is dangerous, as we wish we had never ended the good times but kept on living the life that was never good for us to begin with.” (Connect the Testaments; 2012)
Do you ever get a little too caught up in nostalgia? Do you like to complain a little too much about challenges in your life? Is it too easy to forget all that God has done for you in the past? Are you a little too prideful in your view of yourself? Be careful you don’t put on those rose-colored glasses. They can blind you from reality and God’s truth. They can cause you to complain when you should be thankful.