I am forgetful. Sometimes it’s that I forget if I shut the garage door, sometimes it’s more a neglected basic daily hygiene task, and sometimes it’s more serious things. Did I remember to call someone that I was supposed to call? Did I remember to pray over the kids as they got out of the car for school? Did I remember to read my Bible today? For a culture that is so big on celebrations, taking photos, and social media, we fail to remember what matters. Our lives are driven in the fast lane and it feels like a race against time as we fumble and grasp at getting through each day.

We are so prone to forget as we keep moving closer and closer to eternity that we neglect to reflect. We don’t like the slow lane. We fail to look in the rearview mirror to see where we have been and because of that we fail to praise God for bringing us to where we are. Lot’s wife got it wrong, the Israelites got it wrong- they looked back longingly with rose-colored glasses on “what was.” Their hardships were overshadowed by familiarity. Unfamiliarity is scary and can hold us back, but remembering rightly can help us move forward.

So, do we not look back? No, we absolutely should look back on “what was” and be grateful for how God brought us out of there, wherever “there” is! Growth should be measured against our previous selves. God is in the business of reminding- not to shame us for who we were or what we did, but to help us recognize it is only because of HIS grace, HIS mercy, and HIS provision that we were made new. The word and command to “remember” or any variation of it is used upwards of 250 times throughout scripture. 

Remember, He created you (Psalm 139). Remember, He loves you (John 3:16). Remember, Jesus reconciled you through His death (Colossians 1:21-23). Remember, He called you out of darkness into the marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9).

Lord, help me remember who I was so that I can give you all the praise and glory for who I am.