Lesson from The Past
Kalangan Sendiri

Lesson from The Past

Yenny Kartika Official Writer
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2 Timothy 4:11b

Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry.

 

Bible Reading for a Year [bible]psalm119:89-150[/bible]; [bible]ijohn4[/bible]; [bible]ezeki46-47[/bible]

 

We all have some regrets about the past, sins, and mistakes. We feel a lot like the Peanuts comic strip character, Linus. He once said, “Maybe we should think only about today.” Another character, Charlie Brown, disagreed, “No, that’s giving up. I’m still hoping yesterday will get better.”

We cannot change what happened in the past. But we can learn from yesterday’s sins and mistakes. Along with God’s help, the experience can guide us to make a better tomorrow.

The biblical figure John Mark had the same experience. In the beginning, he started on a missionary journey with Paul and Barnabas, but when they entered Asia Minor he abandoned them and went back home. ([bible]0acts13:13[/bible]; [bible]0acts15:38[/bible]). There’s no explanation of why he left, but the apostle Paul saw it as a shameful desertion.

Later, Mark became a co-worker with Barnabas ([bible]0acts15:39[/bible]). No one knows the details, but at some point Mark must have changed and reconciled with Paul ([bible]colos4:10-11[/bible]). When Paul was in prison awaiting execution, he asked Timothy to come and to bring Mark with him. He indicated Mark was ‘useful to me for ministry’ ([bible]iitim4:11[/bible]).

We cannot erase yesterday but we can learn from it. When we humbly take our sins and seek His help, the better future is waiting for us.

Failure is never final if you begin again with God.

Ikuti Kami