Spiritual Amnesia
Wisdom Hunter 12/29/2016
“So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.” – 2 Peter 1:12-15
As human beings, we are forgetful people. We’re prone to forget important events like birthdays and anniversaries, and I’m sure we’ve all (at one time or another) turned the house upside down looking for a lost set of keys. While these kinds of mistakes may be embarrassing or frustrating, the consequences are relatively small. What’s far more costly and significant is spiritual amnesia.
Spiritual amnesia is something that every single person is vulnerable to, and must learn to defend against. If – as the old hymn says – we are “prone to wander” in our spiritual lives, we are also prone to forget. Therefore, in the verses above, Peter encourages his readers (3 times) to remember the ways of the Lord and the hope that we have in Christ. He is fully aware of the fact that – though our intentions may be good and sincere – without a consistent rhythm of prayer, worship, and study; our thoughts and lives turn away from the things of God and turn instead to the countless things that vie for our attention.
Did you notice how Peter prays that they would “be able at any time to recall these things?” There is a profound lesson for us in this phrase. We must learn to be people who trust in God and live lives that look like Jesus – all the time and in all places. Following Jesus isn’t just for Sunday services, Wednesday night Bible study, or early morning devotions. It is also for office break rooms, soccer fields, and grocery stores. This is the heart of Peter’s prayer: his desire is that we would be so deeply formed in the ways of Jesus that – in life’s greatest joys and darkest fears, in the most sacred of moments and those that seem unbearably mundane – we would recall that God is good, faithful, and true.
Protect yourself today from spiritual amnesia and learn to encounter the Lord afresh in every area of your life!