New Year’s Eve already? Shocking, but true.
This morning I was listening to a jazz version of “Auld Lang Syne,” and I realized that even though I have mumbled the words to that song for ever, I don’t really know what they mean. I looked it up, and the first line in this song is basically asking, “Is it right that old times be forgotten?” The implication is that friendships should always be treasured and remembered.
The Bible has an answer.
Isaiah 43:18 "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.”
1 Thessalonians 5:21 “…hold onto that which is good.”
Take just one more moment to think about 2013. What was good, beautiful, and memorable about it? Whatever was good—hold onto it. Treasure it in your heart. Keep it nearby when you hit a rough spell because it will bring a smile to your face. Like when my handsome son-in-law held my infant nephew for the first time and the baby vomited a half gallon of milk all over his guayabera. It was so funny, and the rotten suntan lotion aftersmell was even better.
What about the rough parts? The heartbreaking parts? The scary parts? The embarrassing parts? FORGET THEM! Don’t dwell on them. Leave them filed away forever in a folder labeled, “DO NOT OPEN.”Since I am practicing what I preach, I will not share any of the negative stuff.
By the way, I am not being bossy; I am passing along some really smart advice from God.
Why would the Lord go through all the trouble of telling us these things? He cares about our mental health.
Proverbs 23:7 “For as a man thinks in his heart, so is his.”
We become what we think about. If we constantly engage in depressing “what if” scenarios, we become depressed. If we always meditate on the things that scare us, we start to live in constant fear.
Conversely, if we forget the junk and embrace the lovely, we become lovely, happy, delightful people.
So tonight, when we mouth the words to “Auld Lang Syne,” (cause we all know we don’t know the lyrics), let’s make having good mental health a priority in 2014.
Happy New Year!
