I've been thinking some lately about the value of remembering certain things in life and how key that is. Now, thankfully (at least for me), I don't think that includes stuff like where I left my keys, why I went into a room, and things like that- if it did, I'd be in trouble.
But, what I mean is making an effort to remember things like where I find my hope and security, who God is, what God has done throughout the course of history and what He's done in my life. It seems like when we lose sight of some of this, it's so much easier to fall into self-pity, resentment, discouragement and things like that.
I think Psalm 42 does a pretty good job of hitting at this. The psalmist at one point (verse 5) is essentially preaching to his own soul. He's reminding himself of who God is and what He's done. Too often I find that I allow bad or sinful thoughts to dwell in my head rather than clinging to Scripture to remind myself of what is true. For example, a lot of times when something seemingly bad happens, I'll end up thinking about how bad things are in my life and how much I'd rather things be different, as opposed to being thankful for all the good that's in my life and how God might be using this situation to teach me or grow me up. Or, just today, I noticed myself being kind of joyful about being secure financially and I had to immediately fight that by reminding myself of where my real security comes from (God) and how fleeting things like CD's and IRA's are.
Sometime back I was encouraged by a Christian brother to keep a journal of what God is teaching me. That has proven to be a good discipline (when I actually do it)- it helps me to look back at sometime in the past and see how God did something cool in my life or even how He brought me through a difficult time. So, I'll continue to try to discipline myself to memorize Scripture and keep a journal... 2 big keys that have benefited me greatly.
-JRO
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2 comments:
I agree that it takes some deliberateness on our parts sometimes to remember who is in control and where our real security, fulfillment and sense of belonging come from. This is especially true (for me) when I realize that I've been looking to somebody else to bring a lot of joy to my life (through their friendship, time, attention, etc.). When you lose that, you feel like your ship got rocked, but perhaps it's God way of reminding us of the hierarchy :)
Anybody who's growing spirituality should be writing down what they're learning. I really suck at that - I'm just lazy - but I know it's a great idea. Perhaps I wouldn't repeat the same mistakes sometimes if I just had those notes to review.
I kept a journal once as a discipline and when I went back and reread it I saw what a silly girl I was! So it is very good for keeping one humble.
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