People of Poor Memory

Two elderly women were in church one day and were discussing the problems associated with growing older. One commented, "The worst thing is when your memory starts to go. I've known you all my life, and I can't think of your name. What is it?" The second lady thought for a moment and said, "Do you need an answer right now?" (Jacqueline J. Warner, Christian Reader).

I think that we would all agree that when you reach the point where you cannot remember your own name you have serious concerns, yet many of us suffer from a kind of spiritual amnesia that is far more dangerous. We are slow to remember all that God has done for us and live as though all that we enjoy in life comes to us by our own hand. We tend to forget our position as believers in Jesus Christ and often live defeated lives that are short on joy and filled with worry and anxiety. Through carelessness and neglect we tend to forget the basic teachings of our faith and are quick to embrace the teachings and philosophy of the world. In short, we tend to be people of poor memory and limited perspective.

Nowhere is this more true than in our observance, or lack of observance, of the Ten Commandments, some of the most basic teachings of our faith. Most of us have studied the 10 commandments and probably at one time or another have memorized them, but it is likely that we no longer keep them. One of the more striking examples in my own experience is that of remembering the Sabbath (the Lord’s day) as a day set apart for worship, rest and the cultivating of relationships. As a boy growing up there was a much more relaxed pace to life in general but especially on Sunday. There were no organized school or athletic events scheduled for Sunday, and especially not Sunday morning. Grocery stores were closed, gas stations were closed, department stores and shopping malls were closed and for the most part, only essential personnel such as policeman, firefighters, hospital staff etc. worked on Sunday. Contrast this with the schedule that many keep today. For the most part it is business as usual and the frenetic pace of Monday thru Saturday is carried into Sunday with little regard for God’s command to “remember the Sabbath.”

Another example might be our tendency to violate the First Commandment and allow “other gods” to assume God’s rightful place in our lives. Martin Luther reminds us that in keeping this commandment that “we should fear, love and trust in God above all things.” While the author A.W. Tozer says we can reveal the priorities of our heart by asking ourselves questions like, “What do we want the most out of life? What do we think about the most? How do we spend our money? What do we laugh at? What kind of friends do we keep?” 

These questions, and others like them, serve to reveal the priorities of our hearts and the false gods that creep into our lives, sometimes without our even being aware that it has happened. The sins of idolatry, misuse of the Lord’s name, violating the Sabbath, dishonoring of parents, hatred (murder), adultery, stealing, bearing of false witness and coveting our neighbor’s possessions are all rampant within our society, and to a lesser degree within the church. Jesus said in John 14:21a, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me.” Jesus begins with the obvious that we must first have (know and understand) His commandments but also that our keeping (obeying) them is an expression of our love for God. The 10 Commandments are not ancient or archaic laws with no relevance for today but foundational expressions of how we experience the abundant life with Jesus the Christ.

 

What is your lifestyle telling you about your spiritual walk? Have you fallen victim to spiritual amnesia? God has better for us in life if we will remember, and obey, the foundational truth represented the 10 Commandments. Live in to your position as a believer in Jesus Christ and repent and be blessed!