Why Isn't It Like It Used To Be?

My first car was a 1956 Pontiac 9 passenger red and white station wagon. The paint was badly faded, so we repainted it right after getting it. I couldn’t wait to drive it. It belonged to me. No other vehicle has ever stirred the same excitement in me, but by the time I went to college, it was no longer so special to me. I had become used to having a car.

I am glad I don’t have to depend on that “56” Pontiac today. My Nissan is more dependable, gets better mileage, and the heater works better. Nevertheless, it isn’t nearly as exciting as the Pontiac was at first. My standards, needs and desires have changed with time, and excitement is less important than the other issues.

Far too often our modern society is still trying to get back the old excitement, not realizing that they have changed. Over the years, I have seen a number of guys try to obtain a similar excitement by buying some dream car, such as a convertible, or a Corvette. They never quite get that same feeling again. Most of them only use the dream car occasionally, and some are seriously disappointed by the reality. One friend had dreamed about a “68” mustang until he got one. After his first trip, he sold it, saying he’d never ridden in a more uncomfortable car.

Unfortunately, people don’t just seek that old excitement by buying a different car. People divorce a mate they have had a satisfactory marriage with for years because it is no longer exciting. They forget the dependability and stability of having someone there everyday who knows their faults and hope some one else younger or prettier will be more exciting. The resulting excitement level is lower, and the new wears off quicker, bringing them back to where they were in the first case. Some repeat the cycle over and over, always looking for what they had, rather than enjoying what they have.

I will never forget talking to a friend who was looking for an excitement in church like he first had when he accepted the Lord. He had repeatedly changed churches in his effort. The problem was not that the churches had changed, but that he was no longer a baby. Maturity took away some of the excitement, but in exchange, offered a much more stable life. The same level of excitement could no longer be obtained, and efforts to do so were preventing enjoying a much deeper and more satisfying Christian life.

A mark of real maturity is a change in what excites us. A fast, racy looking car is attractive to a teenager, but to a mature person, it is more exciting to be comfortable and dependable. Mature people prefer not to try to stuff six people in a two seat sport car. They’d rather have a car that will do what they need. The same is true in marriage and in selecting a church.

Some people devote their whole energy to trying to stay young. They dress and talk like teenagers. They drive cars more suited to a teenager. They indulge in activities of young people. No matter how hard they try they cannot avoid growing older, but many never mature, still pretending to be young. They look pretty silly. I think I’d rather be mature, not just old.