Remember? or forget?

Is true love signified by constant thoughts of one’s lover? I’ve heard it said that you can tell what you love the most by what you think about the most. This convicts me. As much as I love Jesus, He is not always on my thoughts. 

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. (1 Corinthians 11:23–26)

Did Jesus have to tell us to take the cup of communion to remember Him because He knew that we would forget? That we would get so caught up in this life and its activities and concerns that we would neglect to proclaim His death, or be too busy to meditate on Him?

When I wake up in the morning, my first thoughts sometimes are of God, but lately they are more often about the way I feel and the aches in my bones. When I go to bed at night, I do better and usually pray before falling asleep.

The hours in between are a mixed bag. I pray for others as they come to mind. I ask for help with perplexities, blessing on the food that I eat, and occasionally offer praise and thanksgiving. This does not even come close to “Pray without ceasing” as commanded in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. For me, it seems that the saying, “Out of sight, out of mind” is very true. Distracted by ‘stuff’ means that I struggle with putting my thoughts on the One that I cannot see with my eyes.

I’ve also been told that Christians learn easily to pray, but it takes a lifetime to learn how to meditate, to think deeply about the Lord and spiritual matters. To make matters worse, recent studies reveal that the current trend runs counter to meditation. That is, these days, people do not think very deeply about anything.

Living for the moment without considering the future or any consequences of what I do, or thinking about why I do what I do seems opposite to how God wants me to live. All of this is much easier if I remember Jesus.

For instance, He is my future. All of life will culminate in that final transformation when I see Him face to face. Even this hope changes how I behave.

Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. (1 John 3:2–3)

Further, when I think about Jesus, I think about the consequences of what I do. Apart from Him, I can become totally preoccupied with things of this life, not bad things, but activities that have no eternal value. Thoughts of Jesus change that.

He sets a standard for motivation and the reasoning behind all activities. For instance, I can make a quilt for my own pleasure, but when Jesus occupies my thoughts, it becomes a project to give joy or comfort to someone else. Or when I tell a story about a personal incident to someone, it can be a thinly disguised way to boast or elevate myself, but when Jesus is in my thoughts, I can tell it to edify the other person, or otherwise keep my mouth shut.

Thinking of Him also changes how I think about the trials and tests of life. He is my example and His way of dealing with difficulties shows me a different way to live than I might otherwise choose.

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Jesus, You make such a impact on my life. However, as You knock on the door of my heart, I must first let You in. If not, I will do my own thing and even forget that You are there, waiting to transform all that I do into something that will have eternal value and that will bring You glory. You do not want me to waste my life on trivia, but You are not pushy. You want me to think of You and invite You in.

Forgive me for forgetting. It seems so rude. Not only that, as I grow older and face the idea of failing body and mind, the idea of forgetting You becomes even less controllable. What can I do but trust You to keep me centered on You. I know I cannot save myself, even from forgetting. I need You more and more each day. Help my memory to be stayed on You.