OPINION —
In my ninth decade, there are memories that are indeed precious to me. I think of them as holy moments when I was blessed with the presence and grace of God. Moments like the one when Dean took my hand in marriage. And moments when I held each of our five sons in my hands the day they were born.
I can recall hundreds of other precious memories across the years that were God-blessed moments for me. To reflect on them fills my heart with joy and gratitude.
But memory is a two-edged sword. I can also remember times when I suffered because I had either ignored or disobeyed God and was anything but a servant of Jesus. I remember occasions when I was hurt by the actions or words of others, causing me to indulge in resentment and self-pity. I remember times when I was so discouraged that I felt like giving up.
Memory is a gift of God, but the quality of our lives depends upon our choices. We can choose to let painful memories go, or we can retain them and make ourselves miserable by recalling unholy moments. We can remember to forget stuff that hampers our spiritual life, forgiving those who have wronged us so we can move forward without guilt or remorse.
There is a lovely story told about Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross. A friend reminded Barton of a cruel deed someone had done to her. Barton calmly said she did not remember the deed done to her. Her friend responded,
“Surely you remember the wrong that was done to you!” “No,” Barton replied, “I distinctly remember forgetting that.”
When I read that story I quickly prayed, “Lord, please give me to grace to follow Clara Barton’s example.”
We have the gift of memory because we are made in the image of God. The Bible reminds us often that God remembers. A beautiful example are the words of God in Genesis 9:16 – “Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.” Every rainbow reminds us of God’s love for us.
Scripture reminds us that God is aware of our struggles. God said to Moses, “I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant” (Exodus 6:5).
God instructs his people to use their memory to help them obey him. So one of the Ten Commandments is, “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy….Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord our God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day” (Deuteronomy 5:12, 15).
The tassels on the garments of the Israelites were there for a purpose: “You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by chasing after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes” (Numbers 15:39).
God warned the Israelites not to forget his mercy: “…be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery” (Deuteronomy 6:12).
In the Old Testament the great sin of God’s people is forgetting to obey God. The Hebrew meaning of forgetting much more than memory loss; it means to abandon and cease caring about obeying God’s commands. Forgetting to obey God leads to the sin of pride. Chapter eight of Deuteronomy is titled “Do Not Forget the Lord.” The Israelites are warned against foolish pride: “You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have provided this wealth for me.’ But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth….” (Deuteronomy 8:17-18).
As we live out our days, we can remember and we can forget. We shall be wise to remember God’s mercy and obey our Lord’s commandment to love God supremely and love our neighbors as we love ourselves.
We can choose to follow the example of the apostle Paul who said, “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).
If we seek his counsel, Jesus will guide us in knowing what we should remember to forget and make plain to us what we should remember not to forget.
Altar Call | Remember to forget
