2 Peter 1:12 Therefore I will always remind you about these things - even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth you have been taught.
Sometimes, we don’t need new information or revelation. We have to be reminded of what we already know and have heard before. In the scripture above, we see that. The author said he had to remind the audience even though they already knew. God can speak to us again on something we have already heard before and we must be humble enough to receive it once more. Throughout the Bible, the word Remember is used a lot of times because as humans we have a high tendency to easily forget. As I reflect on this, my mind goes to the parable of the sower.
Matthew 13:5-6 says: Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no roots. And in verses 20-21, the interpretation is; The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no roots, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.
Sometimes after hearing a message, we are so excited because of the revelation we catch from it but never apply it when difficult times come because we forgot. And this forgetfulness came when we did not meditate on it to get it into our hearts. We just heard it once and thought that was all.
What you forget, you don’t put to work. The Word you have applied, you easily remember.
The Bible says the plants withered because they had no roots. Here, another scripture comes to mind. Psalm 1:2-3 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. The words in bold are to be taken note of. The reason for withering is the lack of meditation on the Word.
Reminders ensure that we are firm in the truth. Matthew 7:24-27 also describes the one who hears the Word and puts it into practice (apply) as one who builds on a rock. Rocky places and rock are different. A rocky place symbolizes what is unstable. A rock signifies something that is stable and dependable.
Six critical concepts to remember are:
- Remember God
Ecclesiastes 12:1 Don’t let the excitement of your youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor Him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore”. It is important to remember God at all times and points in our lives. Remembering Him includes seeking Him first in our endeavors, committing our lives to Him, and allowing Him access into our lives. The word ‘youth’ in his scripture connotes giving God the best time of your life. Our youthful years are the best times of our lives when we can decide to ‘have fun‘ on the world’s terms. The reason we must remember God at this time is that what we become at old age is dependent on the choices we make while young. Also, where we spend eternity depends on who we lived our lives for. When a person acts with pride, it is an indication that they have forgotten that God is the reason for their existence. A lot of times, we think it’s about our achievements, beauty, or capabilities. The higher we go in life, the more we need God and ought to remember Him because as we progress, there is the tendency to think it is by our own might. If God has said in Isaiah 49:15-16 that He won’t forget us- as weak and fragile as we are- what makes you think that forgetting God and depending on ourselves would bring us sustainability? We are tied to God because we were made in His image, we can’t do without Him, and being separate from Him spells doom for us.
- Remember your past victories
In order to grow our faith in God, it is necessary to remember the goodness of the Lord in times past. It gives us the assurance that if God could do it that time, He would surely do it again. This helps bring a spirit of thanksgiving rather than worry in challenging times. Any time you see people who say that they have no testimony to share, one thing is obvious- they have forgotten what God did for them. In Psalm 77: 11, the Bible says: But then I recall all you have done, O Lord, I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. In the preceding verses, you realize that David was asking God questions whether he had been rejected but he later reminded himself of the past victories and testimonies. In Psalm 103:2 David says, Bless the Lord o my soul and forget not His benefits. It was through recalling he fought the bear and lion that He conquered Goliath.
- Remember people who have been a blessing to you
It is always a joy to people when you are grateful to them for their support and help to you when no one was available. Ungrateful people are those who have forgotten the role others have played in their journey to becoming who they are. In 1 Corinthians 11:2, Paul expressed his excitement upon knowing that the people keep him in their thoughts. He didn’t think he was an Almighty Apostle now and so needed to forget about them. Joseph even saw what his evil brothers did to be a blessing and was good to them.
- Remember generations after you
When you know that your decisions today affect your descendants, you behave differently and you don’t just do anything. People who do things anyhow have forgotten that there are people after them who may end up paying for their wrong decisions. We must be generational thinkers so that we act with wisdom. Psalm 112:1-2 How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying His commands. Their children will be successful everywhere; an entire generation of godly people will be blessed. Psalm 102:18 Let this be recorded for future generations so that a people not yet born will praise the Lord.
- Remember you have a unique destiny
People who are envious of others have not come to the point of remembering that everyone has a unique destiny. We all have different paths God has outlined for our lives and we need to work individually to fulfill that assignment. Comparing ourselves with other people is therefore not rational because we are all on different journeys. In 1 Peter 2:9, the Bible says, For you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and God’s own possession. When we don’t understand this, we envy people. God also told Jeremiah that before he was born, He (God) set him apart as a prophet to the nations. There is a specific purpose for your life. Pursue that and stop coveting what others have.
- Remember that life is not just physical
Most people who take life casually have lost sight of the fact that although we have a physical aspect of life, life is mainly spiritual. The spiritual world existed before God created the physical world we see. The Bible makes it clear in Ephesians 6:12 that For we wrestle not against flesh and blood...
If people understood that every action has spiritual consequences, their behavior would be different. You may have stolen money from your place of work but apart from being arrested if caught, there has been a spiritual effect. Sex is a transfer of spirits and not just physical. Every work of the flesh is done with the physical body but has spiritual implications. The state of the soul is affected.
We need to remind ourselves constantly of these so that our behavior pleases God and our lives are a blessing to others.