Remember When…

I recall being a child, growing up in my parent’s home, and my mother often reminding my younger brother and me of all the things that we did not buy, and with good reason.

You know, those times when my brother and I would seem ungrateful. Those times when we would leave all the lights on throughout the house, or let the water run while we played, I mean, brushed our teeth.

Often we could hear her say, “Y’all have all the lights on like you pay the bill!”

We lived the “lavish” life of having a roof over our heads, clothes on our backs, meals all day, every day, and just about any and everything that we could ever ask for.

But, as children often do, we sometimes acted as if it was something we did to deserve what we had. Not necessarily in deed, but in mannerisms. There were days when we didn’t clean our rooms as we were asked and didn’t complete our chores, and even “forgot” to say thank you for all the provisions that were made for us.

It was as if we’d forgotten that all these things were given to us without our help.

The Maturity of Forgetfulness

As I think back, there have been numerous times, as I’ve grown older, that I “forgot” what was done for me and given to me. Times when I didn’t acknowledge that I didn’t get where I was on my own, but that someone else made it possible for me to get there.

There were even times when I treated God that way. So often, I’d get to a point while on a job or even in school, where I would rely on my own knowledge and know-how to advance myself, forgetting that I didn’t have the answers to begin with.

Unfortunately for me, I’d forgotten, essentially, where my “help came from.”

Remembering God

In our Playbook, in the book of Deuteronomy 6:10-12 (NKJV), it says,

“So it shall be, when the Lord your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities which you did not build, houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, hewn-out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant–when you have eaten and are full–then beware, lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.”

There’s a song that goes, “Always remember Jesus. Always remember Jesus. Always remember Jesus. Always keep Him on your mind.”

So often, we forget that it was only God who brought us to the blessings that we have and He’s the only one that can bring us through the trials that we face.

It is so easy to get sidetracked and allow ourselves to believe that we got ourselves where we are because we “worked hard,” or knew the right people.  We forget that God gave us the ingenuity and placed those people in our paths.

SO, WHAT’S THE PLAY CALL?

Our Playbook says in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing.” This is for a reason. Praying is communication with God, talking and listening to God, and if you’re always praying, you can’t possibly forget who you’re talking to. Here are a few Play Calls to help you always remember that it was God who helped you:

1. Be grateful to God and share what He has done for you. It is much easier to recall what God has done when you are in a constant state of gratitude and when you are willing to share His goodness with others. “Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.” 1 Chronicles 16:8
2. Intentionally rely on the Lord. When you make up in your mind to depend on God and not yourself, you will always remember that you cannot make it on your own. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5
3. Give God your all. When you willingly submit yourself to the Lord, you put yourself in a position to acknowledge that only He can give you what you need. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7
4. Let go of your pride. When you admit (to yourself) that you cannot do this life alone, you give God free reign over your life. “I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.” 1 Corinthians 15:31. That being a death to self-agendas.

And “Always remember Jesus. Always keep Him on your mind.”