Written by Reid Monaghan
[This article was originally published at powerofchange.org]

Human life is an interesting thing. We are bound in space-time, and everything we experience is tinged by temporal reality. We always deal with life in light of yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

As individuals we struggle with these realities. We either get caught up excessively in our pasts, or mentally wander around an unknown and underdetermined future.

The reality is that as time-bound creatures each part of our journey is significant. Our past shapes who we are and contributes to forming our identity. A people who forgets its history is not only destined to repeat it, but also risks not knowing their own names. The future is important as it gives us hope or despair. The fogs of tomorrow either stifle our present in a fearful inactivity or animates us in anticipation. The past and the future may either freeze or energize our present.

Just this morning I was caught up in my own past as my son sent me this song and asked me to listen to its lyrics. In my present moment I could not help but think how proud I am of my son and who he will be in his future. Something a bit like water got into my eyes as well. Weird.

I once heard a gentleman named Ravi Zacharias recount that, “The only thing worse than nostalgia is amnesia.” An excessive nostalgia prevents us from changing and evolving in the present to become more than we are today. A debilitating amnesia will strip us of our identity and our sense of place in the bigger story of life.

I did not grow up in a church going world and was very uncertain as to what I believed about God, the universe, and my place within it. It was when I became a follower of Jesus Christ that the past, present, and future converged for me in a different way. The Christian teaching infuses each of these segments of time with meaning and significance. As a song sung in many churches rehearses:

Christ HAS died, Christ IS risen, Christ WILL come again

Our past sins and present reality need forgiveness and Christ has done this for us. He is also alive and well with us by his Spirit. We know each day is meaningful and has purpose. His promise is a glorious future where sin, sickness, disease, and even death itself is defeated. Our hope is a new unfathomable reality of light and love where Christ is our King. ‪

Every human life needs a HAS, an IS, and a WILL‬. What’s yours? ‬‬‬

I have spent the last several decades commending Jesus to others. I really hope you consider his person, his work, and his teaching as it applies to your story today. Hit me up if you want to chat about it.