Learning from the past

Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry. – 2 Timothy 4:11

We all have some regrets about the past and try to forget our sins and mistakes. We feel a lot like the Peanuts comic strip character Linus, who said, "Maybe we should think only about today." Charlie Brown disagreed, "No, that’s giving up. I’m still hoping yesterday will get better."
We know that we can’t change what happened yesterday. But we can learn from yesterday’s sins and mistakes, and with God’s help we can use that knowledge to make a better tomorrow.

That’s what John Mark did. He had started on a missionary journey with Paul and Barnabas, but when they entered Asia Minor he abandoned them and went back home (ACTS 13:13; 15:38). We’re not told why he left, but the Apostle Paul saw it as a shameful desertion.

Later, Mark became a co-worker with Barnabas (15:39). We don’t know the details, but at some point Mark must have changed and reconciled with Paul (COLOSSIANS 4:10-11). When Paul was in prison awaiting execution, he asked Timothy to come and bring Mark with him. He indicated that Mark was "useful to me for ministry" (2 TIMOTHY 4:11).

We cannot erase yesterday, but we can learn from it. When we take our sins and mistakes to the Lord and seek His help, we can be better today and tomorrow. – Herb Vander Lugt

For further study

How do we know that God forgives us? (1 John 1:9-21).

Read the online version of the booklet When We Don’t Measure Up at www.discoveryseries.org/cb971

READ: Acts: 15:36-41

Failure is never final if you begin again with God.