I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things. (2 Pet. 1:15)
WHEN MY SON WAS A YOUNG BOY, he would often respond to my instructions as if I had told him to do something as obvious and natural as breathing. It’s time to pick up toys. “I know, Dad.” Don’t forget to wash your hands. “I know, Dad.” Say thank you. “I know, Dad.” What he didn’t realize was that if I hadn’t constantly repeated those instructions, those seemingly obvious behaviors never would have become second nature to him. If I had told him just one time to look both ways before crossing the street, he would quickly have forgotten the lesson. The repetition is what helped him internalize truth.
The same is true with internalizing the Word of God. We can’t verbalize scriptural truth just one time and check it off our list of things to do. A single profession of truth will not cause it to be deeply rooted in our hearts or the hearts of others. Let your love for the Lord be constantly on your lips. Let others regularly hear your testimony. Encourage others frequently to walk in step with the Spirit. The apostle Peter was an old man when he wrote his admonition to “remember these things.” He never forgot the teachings of Jesus, received decades earlier, and his earnest desire was to ensure that no one else forgot them either.
If our relationship with God is based on one moment rather than a continual walk, we will forget the things we have learned. To create a culture of reverence and love for God, we must constantly speak the truth of Scripture.
Within the next hour, tell someone something true about God.
Lawrence W. Wilson is a pastor, author, and avid cyclist from Fishers, Indiana.
