History
History enriches our lives. It teaches us about why certain people are known for things. It teaches us about our past and the past of others. History gives background and exposes meaning to the world around us.
Through history, we learn to live like others who did it better than us or not live like others who did not have the chance to do it better than us. We are enabled to see beyond things at their face value. We are made aware of the intensely evil monstrosities that took place before we were, to learn from them, to learn to never let them happen if it is in our power. We learn about the great good that has also taken place before us and try our best to draw out what was good about it, following it today.
We don’t take things as they are for granted. We appreciate how the things that exist today came to be. We see how valuable some of the precious things we have today are, things like freedom, love, and kindness. At times, those things were so much more appreciated because they were taken away from the people who had once experienced them. Some people did not even get the opportunity to experience those things in their lives because they did not live long enough to or they grew up in a world where those things, the intangible pleasures of life, were hidden or restricted. We learn to value things we might not have valued if we did not know their history or reject the things we may have valued if we had not known what they actually stood for.
History gives color to a world that otherwise could have been black and white. History helps take complacency out of life. It reveals things we could not have known. It brings to light things that others couldn’t have known. It honors those who were meant to be honored in that way and treasures those who are meant to be brought out in a different place, a homeland called Heaven. History shows us why we live the way we do, and what we have in common with those who were before us.
Most importantly, history shows us how God made us, it tells us the ultimate story of our lives and how they could be. It tells us how we have a Savior who came to the earth to set us free. It lets us know how we are loved and cherished. Through history, we can be inspired to live better lives by seeing how other people and Christians lived. In some ways, history can potentially reveal what our future will be like and in others, it tells us exactly what will happen (like in the Bible).
I would say, the best history book is the Bible. It tells us our story and the story of the universe while putting everything into perspective and giving our lives and the world meaning. We are also left with a choice of how we want our lives to be lived: for Christ or against him. On the other hand, C.S. Lewis said, “human history is the long, terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy”.
But human history also enlightens us about our lives and shows us good things too. It teaches us hard lessons and shows us that hard work is required for some things. It shows us how to get places in life and shows us how time changes things and people. History is powerful, history is meaningful. History is ours today.
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faded beauty 