Honor The Past

In the future your children will ask you, “What do these stones mean?” Then you can tell them, “They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the LORD’s Covenant went across.” Joshua 4:6-7

When I tell stories about my childhood, my daughter raises her hand to her forehead and pretends to peer into the distance. She makes fun of my tendency to repeat the same themes.

Reviewing the past provides a strong platform for future decisions.

Joshua instructed the people to have one person from each tribe bring a rock from the center of the river. These were fashioned into a memorial so that future generations could remember how God had helped them cross the river. That knowledge could then influence their view of the future.

A leader’s attention belongs on what lies ahead. History is important because it provides a perspective for the future, but we don’t live in the past.

There’s a difference between living in history and learning from it. Which do you do most often?