Don’t Forget! I’m always a little worried when I hear this. The likelihood of me forgetting is fairly high, especially if I’m busy. Even if I’m not laziness kicks in and my brain may just decide to forget. So when I’m worried about forgetting something important I always write it down. Even if it is inconvenient. I’ve even gotten up in the middle of the night in order to write down some idea that has popped into my head while trying to sleep. If I don’t want to forget I have to write it down.
That’s why it is important to record the things that we are learning. One of things I’ve learned over the last 4 years of school is that the lessons that stick with us and really change us are the ones that we record, reflect on and regularly bring back to mind. It’s amazing how quickly we forget! I can hear a great sermon on Sunday morning and by later that afternoon have forgotten what was said. Unfortunately, just writing it down doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll remember either. I can’t count the number of times I’ve written downs a number of goals only to discover months later that I’ve made no progress because I’ve forgotten them.
We run the same risk when studying the Bible. We can gain some great insight into a passage only to forget it. We might identify a relevant point of application, put it into action once and then forget all about it. There has to be a better way!
Here’s three things that you can do to help you remember and not forget:
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Record. Record what you are learning. Find a systematic way that works for you. Start a Word doc on your computer and record your observations, interpretations and applications for each passage you study. If you prefer, handwrite in a notebook or journal. Get creative with pictures and color if that works best for you. I’ve seen people write songs, poems, stories, perform plays, rap and draw. Do what works for you.
Reflect. Take the time to evaluate and reflect on what you are learning. If you took action on something evaluate how it went and consider what you might do differently next time. Reflection kneads the lesson into our heart and mind and helps it permeate like yeast in a dough.
Repeat. Keep coming back to what you’ve recorded and reflected on. Reinforce what you’ve learned. It takes lots of repetition to form a new habit. The same is true of transformation. It usually doesn’t happen overnight. It happens over time when new thoughts and behaviors are repeated.
God knows that we are forgetful people! He warned the people of Israel not to forget what he had done for them. In Deuteronomy 4:9-10 he says, “Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children – how on the day that you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, the LORD said to me, ‘Gather the people to me, that I may let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children so.’”
He gave the people of Israel and us one more tip to help us remember – that is, tell someone else! Share with someone else what you are learning and discovering in your journey of studying the Bible. Explaining it to someone else helps solidify it in our minds and it provides a measure of accountability for us. I know that as soon as I share something with someone I have to follow through. It also has the added benefit of encouraging and challenging those around us to also continue to grow and be transformed by the Word.
So don’t forget to record, reflect, repeat and share what you learn as you encounter Jesus in the pages of the Bible.