WE SO EASILY FORGET

                I can into my office this morning at my regular time. I turned on my computer, started my coffee, and opened my Daytimer. As soon as I opened to today’s page, I realized that I had messed up, AGAIN! I was supposed to be at a meeting at 6:45 AM. It was now 7:30 AM and too late to get to the meeting. It is a meeting that happens at the same time every month, but because it occurs on a Tuesday (my first day back in the office) I often forget about it, until it is too late.

                No matter how old we are, we are all forgetful. Most of us do pretty well with the routine things of life. But if we are honest, there are a number of things that tend to fall through the cracks. We do not intentionally avoid these things, we just forget about them. Our routine can push these occasional things to the periphery.

                It is a long time between Sundays. A multitude of activities and projects flood our lives in the time in between. If we are not intentional, we can forget about God and His role in our lives, until we show up the following Sunday. Even if we are consistent in our worship attendance, the spiritual insights or challenges we hear on Sunday morning can fade by the time we sit down for Sunday dinner.

                Throughout the Bible, God calls us to remember. He understands how our minds work and how quickly spiritual things leak from our consciousness. So when God does have our attention, He reminds us of how important it is to keep our relationship with Him at the forefront of our minds.

                King David must have struggled with forgetfulness. He wrote about it in Psalm 103.

Psalm 103:1-5

Of David.

    Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

    Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits--

    who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,

    who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,

    who satisfies your desires with good things  so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

                David was reminding himself of all the reasons he had for which to praise God. He was refocusing his mind on what was of ultimate importance. Jesus challenged us to do the same thing. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus talked about how the mundane and routine of life can consume our thoughts and our energy. He challenged us to reorient our thinking.

                So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:31-34

                At the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry He instituted the Lord’s Supper. As Paul records it in 1 Corinthians 11, the disciples were to do these things “in remembrance of” Jesus. Jesus knew that when the pressure was on, they would forget. So He gave them a way to remember.

                One of the best ways to remember things is to review them regularly. If a student wants to remember what they have been studying so they can do well on a test, they review the material over and over again. If an actor wants to memorize their lines for a play, they review them over and over again. If a musician wants to play a piece of music exceptionally well, they review it over and over again. If we want to grow in our faith in Christ, then we need to review what we are learning regularly.                 I can into my office this morning at my regular time. I turned on my computer, started my coffee, and opened my Daytimer. As soon as I opened to today’s page, I realized that I had messed up, AGAIN! I was supposed to be at a meeting at 6:45 AM. It was now 7:30 AM and too late to get to the meeting. It is a meeting that happens at the same time every month, but because it occurs on a Tuesday (my first day back in the office) I often forget about it, until it is too late.

                No matter how old we are, we are all forgetful. Most of us do pretty well with the routine things of life. But if we are honest, there are a number of things that tend to fall through the cracks. We do not intentionally avoid these things, we just forget about them. Our routine can push these occasional things to the periphery.

                It is a long time between Sundays. A multitude of activities and projects flood our lives in the time in between. If we are not intentional, we can forget about God and His role in our lives, until we show up the following Sunday. Even if we are consistent in our worship attendance, the spiritual insights or challenges we hear on Sunday morning can fade by the time we sit down for Sunday dinner.

                Throughout the Bible, God calls us to remember. He understands how our minds work and how quickly spiritual things leak from our consciousness. So when God does have our attention, He reminds us of how important it is to keep our relationship with Him at the forefront of our minds.

                King David must have struggled with forgetfulness. He wrote about it in Psalm 103.

Psalm 103:1-5

Of David.

    Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

    Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits--

    who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,

    who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,

    who satisfies your desires with good things  so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

                David was reminding himself of all the reasons he had for which to praise God. He was refocusing his mind on what was of ultimate importance. Jesus challenged us to do the same thing. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus talked about how the mundane and routine of life can consume our thoughts and our energy. He challenged us to reorient our thinking.

                So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:31-34

                At the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry He instituted the Lord’s Supper. As Paul records it in 1 Corinthians 11, the disciples were to do these things “in remembrance of” Jesus. Jesus knew that when the pressure was on, they would forget. So He gave them a way to remember.

                One of the best ways to remember things is to review them regularly. If a student wants to remember what they have been studying so they can do well on a test, they review the material over and over again. If an actor wants to memorize their lines for a play, they review them over and over again. If a musician wants to play a piece of music exceptionally well, they review it over and over again. If we want to grow in our faith in Christ, then we need to review what we are learning regularly. 

                Being a follower of Jesus is not just a Sunday activity, it is a way of life. If we are going to be serious about our faith, then we need to be reminded daily of who we are and to whom we belong. Someone once quipped, I have a good memory. It’s just short. Oh how true that is for all of us!