Showing posts with label forgetfulness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label forgetfulness. Show all posts

Friday, February 26, 2016

Trying to Remember


Have you ever walked into a room and been unable to remember what you walked in there for? Perhaps you’ve been in mid-conversation and suddenly lost the train of thought you were once confidently following. Maybe it becomes the niggling thought in our brain of something we told ourselves we needed to remember and now can’t recall.

The truth is we forget things all the time. If we recognize this we will start to combat forgetfulness with reminding behaviors. I’ve been known to carry a notepad to write things down, leave myself voicemails, send emails to myself, and use Evernote to capture thoughts and ideas before they slip away. Some people’s memory’s are stronger than others, but we all have to figure out ways to keep track of things that matter.

The same is true in our relationship with God. We hit moments of difficulty and wonder how we can make our way through it even though we’ve been delivered in the past. We struggle maintaining focus in our daily routines because we’ve forgotten about the day-to-day strength God has promised to provide. I think it’s one of the reasons God constantly gives us reminders of what He has already done. The power of the past slips from our memory as we move farther away from that momentous event. Stirring up memorable thoughts of what matters most is our best way to fight the slow fade of forgetfulness.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

I Forgot

I have learned a difficult truth in ministry. Whenever I return from a mission trip, camp, or other spiritual event, I will encounter intense spiritual resistance and attack the very next week. It happens without fail and yet it would surprise and discourage me each time it occurred. You would think that I would learn that lesson and know that satan would be doing everything he could to negatively affect any positive growth that had taken place.

This year I had myself fully prepared for it. I had prayed and asked for strength and knew that the week after returning from being campus pastor for CIY Move was going to hold spiritual attacks. In reality the week was pretty smooth and ministry just kept thumping along. Then the calendar turned to July.

I forgot again. "He who shall not be named" decided to wait a week to tear it up. I took my eyes off of God and His plan and His providence and allowed the demons of discouragement, despair and futility to settle in and make themselves comfortable. The truth had not changed-the thief has come to steal, kill & destroy (he isn't here to play nice or fair)-but I had forgotten about the confidence that is gained from trusting in God and the abundant life that He promises in spite of our circumstances.

When I forget to keep trusting in God and His ability to work in and through His people then satan has won half the battle. Good thing that the guarantee of God winning the war isn't dependent on my focus. Let's hope I remember that next time.