The Power and Purpose of Remembering God
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One of my favorite sermons was about the two things every human needs: intimacy and impact. We want to be loved, and we want to be remembered. I want to know that this long life we live has meaning.
I recently finished a book about the women in Vietnam — nurses who saved thousands of lives. The main theme in that book is the recurring invalidation of all the blood, sweat, and tears those women poured out while serving. They just wanted to be remembered. We all do, because we all want to have an impact. To be remembered, we have to remember.
How Do We Remember Things?
Memory is a funny thing. We remember some things while completely forgetting others. One theory is that emotion plays a major factor. We remember events that have a significant impact — extra-special birthdays, surprises — but also traumatic moments, because emotions are high in such events.
Painful memories and joyous memories alike are more easily cemented into our brains. Unfortunately, this means wives can tell their husbands about something related to their family schedule, and for some reason, he doesn’t remember. But he can recall the dress she wore on their first date, because that first date had a significant emotional impact.
We remember what is important to us. This obviously varies from person to person. What is important to one may not be important to another. These two facets of memory help us understand how it works, which we must if we are to learn how to better remember what God is capable of.
Israel’s Short Memory
Ancient Israel had a memory problem, a serious one. They were slaves to the Egyptians for generations. God set them free after life-changing plagues wrecked the nation. Once freed, Pharaoh sent his army after them into the wilderness, and the Egyptians witnessed firsthand the power of God.
God’s people saw an ocean split in half and then swallow up their former captors. Those are traumatic events, right? Israel should've surely remembered all of this when they were stranded in the desert, but they didn’t; they immediately complained to Moses. So why, after only a short time in the desert, did they cry out as if God had forgotten them? Why did they forget what He had just done?
Based on what we know about memory now, it’s because they valued other things over their relationship with God (we remember what we consider most important). They prioritized food, shelter, and safety above their relationship with Him, and they considered Him a genie that could grant whatever they wanted. Later in the Old Testament, they even placed their desire for a king above God Himself, and this resulted in a line of kings that led them astray. Israel did not recognize the connection between remembrance and gratitude.
It’s easy to read these stories and blame Israel for sliding away from God. “How could they forget Him after all He did?” we ask while we do the same today. We focus on what we do not have and prioritize that over our actual relationship with Jesus. We complain about not having more “stuff” and money. We use phrases like “if only I had…” just like Israel said, “If we only had some better food.”
Did Jesus not remind us that the animals, the birds, and the plants all receive what they need? How much more does He love us than these things? How much more will He ensure that we have what we need?
God, too, just wants to be remembered — the same way we want to be remembered. You can be remembered as another anxious person in a world full of anxious people or you can be remembered as a calm presence in our anxious society. You can be remembered as a fellow complainer amongst many other complainers, or you can be remembered as a lighthouse in a dark world, a beacon that helps bring fellow children back to their Father.
You can be remembered as a parent, sibling, child, or employee who honors and pursues God before anything else. You must remember God before you remember your worries. Remember Him before the obstacles you face, before the financial problems, before the workplace challenges, before the marriage struggles. Remember God.
Here are a few ways to practice remembering.
4 Powerful Ways to Remember God
1. Remember Who God Is
He is the God of the universe. He created the ground beneath you and the air you’re breathing right now. Reverence is important in relationships. If our kids realized that we can’t actually “take them out of this world” and started calling our bluffs, we’d have mutinies everywhere. I loved my dad, but I also feared him when I was younger. My obedience was rooted in both fear and love — a reverent respect.
2. Remember Who You Are and Who He’s Called You to Be
First and foremost, you are a child of God, and He loves you tremendously. Yes, you are also a sinner. You are imperfect. You have made mistakes and will make more mistakes. But ultimately, God knows the plans He has for you — plans formed before you were even born. He wants you to succeed, He wants to help you, and most importantly, He wants a relationship with you.
3. Remember What God Has Already Done for You
Whether you realize it or not, God has already done something for you. There are miracles in your life you need to acknowledge and remember. If you don’t recognize them, pray that God will illuminate the moments when He rescued you, healed you, saved you, or worked in the lives of those you love.
A helpful practice is journaling. Write down significant life events or keep a gratitude journal where you record anything you’re thankful for. Nothing is too small: air conditioning in the summer, heat in the winter, having all your fingers and toes, your kids, or even a car that simply gets you to work. These may seem silly, but this practice has been shown to actually change your brain chemistry for the better.
As contentment grows, two things happen:
- You care less about pursuing worldly things that only satisfy temporarily, like money or vices. Instead, your focus shifts toward what has eternal value: leading your spouse and children well or being an evangelist for Jesus in your workplace.
- A contagious contentment settles over you. Others will notice, ask questions, and open doors for you to share your faith.
4. Remember What God Has Done for Others
The best way to do this is by consistently reading your Bible. It’s full of stories of God coming to the rescue when His people finally stopped getting in their own way. Read and re-read these stories until they become part of your identity.
Another crucial step is finding community. God isn’t finished — He has done much since the Bible was written, and He will continue to work today. You need to be around people who are also pursuing Him. When God works in their lives, you need to hear about it. And when He works in yours, you need to share it. We are encouraged by telling and hearing these stories. They remind us that God is not dead. He’s alive, and He is still moving.
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