Why Were My Earlier Days Better?

Recently I was talking to a couple and the wife was telling me that how her life prior to her marriage was much better and how she is so miserable right now.

I know many of you have been battling similar thoughts from time to time, but do you remember the years when you were longing to get married? How you were crying out to God for a companion? And now that you are married, you have realised that marriage is not like what you see in movies, and you are desiring your ‘single’ days.

A lot of times when things go wrong, we end up looking at the past and desiring for our former days. This applies not just to the married, but generally to all of us.

WHY WERE MY FORMER DAYS BETTER?

King Solomon, the wisest king in the Old Testament has a crucial word of advice for this. According to him, it is not wisdom to ask such a question.

Do not say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not inquire wisely concerning this. – Ecclesiastes 7:10

The NLT version says: Don’t long for “the good old days.” This is not wise.
Look at the Israelites. For 400 years, they were crying out to God to deliver them from the slavery and torture of the Egyptians. In response to their cry, God sent them a deliverer in the form of Moses. God even committed to take them to the promised land, a land of milk and honey, and yet throughout their journey they were grumbling and complaining.

…so the children of Israel also wept again and said “Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic… – Numbers 11:4-5

They looked at their past and wept saying that their former days of slavery in Egypt were better!

This made God angry, and none of them could enter the Promised Land except for Joshua and Caleb.

GOD HOLDS YOUR SEASON

At times you may feel everything is falling apart, and the burden seems too heavy to carry and your mind keeps telling you these lies: “Oh, if only I was not married, or married to someone else; If only I was in a different place or country, my life would have been easier.”

Child of God, know that every season of your life is in the hands of God. You have to trust God through the process. The Bible says that the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way (Psalm 37:23).

BE THANKFUL YOU HAVE GROWN

Instead of looking at your past and complaining like the Israelites did, consider how far the Lord has brought you and thank and celebrate Him.

You see, a child doesn’t have to worry about paying bills or handling the responsibilities of a house, but as a child grows into maturity, he has to handle more crucial tasks and responsibilities.

When I was single, I had very less responsibilities, but now I am a mother of four, and in addition to that, I have so many spiritual children and ministerial responsibilities to handle. My role has changed and evolved manifold times, and that’s the way how God, being a good Father, grows us and increases our capacity to function more and more like Him.

It’s a good thing to remind yourself – where you came from and how your life was and how far God has brought you and blessed you. Don’t let a single day pass by without thanking God for His goodness!

Having a grateful heart and a perspective that even when life is not easy, there is a greater One in the inside of me – This is an attitude that attracts more and more favour of God upon your life.

So child of God, don’t look back, fix your eyes on Jesus and run ahead! He has a great destiny in store for you!