Just like Man Crush Monday is a thing, Flashback Friday is quite the trend on social media sites like Instagram and Twitter. Mostly, anywhere hashtags (#) are present and popular. Unlike the unwholesome #mcm trend, Flashback Friday is pretty funny. A lot of people post pictures of trips they took years ago, or childhood photos. Relatively harmless.

But also pretty superficial and meaningless. What are we doing by sharing old school photos? It’s mostly pointless if we’re being honest with ourselves. At the very least, it’s humbling to look back on bowl cut photos. But for all basic purposes, Flashback Friday means absolutely nothing.

However, if we were to take a spiritual Flashback Friday each week, it would be incredibly beneficial! Fortunately for us, the apostle Paul lays one out pretty nicely for us.

“Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ…Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,” (Eph. 2:11-13,19)

Before we were redeemed by Jesus’ precious blood, we were without hope, without Christ, strangers, and far away from God. We had no part of the inheritance, and we weren’t members of God’s family. Talk about a depressing Flashback Friday!

But, seeing as that’s a flashback, it means we aren’t currently in that state! As Paul said, we “have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” When we died with Him in baptism (Rom.6), we were changed. We now have hope. We have Christ. We are near to God! We have an inheritance, and we’re members of God’s royal family!

So while you’re sifting through every adolescent you know’s Instagram #flashbackfriday, think about a different kind of Flashback. Flash back to the time when you were without Christ, and praise Him for saving you!!

*And, as a side note, please have a #flashbackSunday every week! It’s what’s commanded of us when we partake of the Lord’s Supper!