“Wish we could turn back time to the good old days
When our momma sang us to sleep but now we're stressed out”

“Stressed Out” is the first top ten song by the duo Twenty One Pilots. It’s a tribute to, and nostalgic longing for, the “good old days” of stress free childhood before growing up and facing the struggle of balancing competing responsibilities of debt, career and family. Their longing for those days, despite knowing they can’t go back to them, is well captured by the song. As a result it’s catchy and uplifting instead of whiny or preachy.

We all know the emotional tug of nostalgia, as we look back on the “good old days”. It’s all over social media today as our economy and society are being strained and we’re all feeling a bit “stressed out.” But there’s a danger if it only lets us see through the lens of our own myopic view. As the song longs for the days when momma sang them to sleep it fails to realize that's when momma was probably living her “stressed out” days of balancing competing responsibilities. Though if they asked her what nostalgia tugs at her heart it’s likely those “stressed out” days when she sang her babies to sleep.

Reading about the kings of Judah makes me wonder how often the singers of their days sang songs about “the good old days” when David was king, or at least back when they trusted God before choosing to go their own way. Joash had his “good old days” when he rebuilt the temple and served God, but then turned from God and was murdered by his servants (2 Kings 12:20). His son Amaziah returned to the “good old days” when God was honored but thirty years later turned from God and was also murdered (2 Kings 14:19). Both started with great hope and promise but gave in to temptation along the way.

Most of us start life with great hope and promise but fail and fall somewhere along the way. When nostalgia creeps in and we begin longing for those “good old days” remember they weren’t good for everyone, and perhaps weren’t as good for us as we want to believe. And then stop wallowing in our current misery through comparing it to the past and create a new set of “good old days” by turning to Christ. Seek the Lord and submit to Him in complete, willing obedience. Determine that come what may, God doesn’t stress out so we’re not going to stress out either. Oh, that doesn’t mean our problems and this world’s troubles will miraculously disappear. They’ll still be here tomorrow, and, presumably, so will we. But instead of griping and complaining let’s be lights of hope pointing to the One who offers the best days that are yet to come. Long for the “good old days” that are waiting for those who trust Jesus.