“You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” — Deuteronomy 6:5–9
Dr. Harold C. Urey, Nobel Prize winner in chemistry, was walking along a sidewalk one day across the university campus when he ran into another professor. They stopped, exchanged pleasantries, and chatted for several minutes. As they parted, Dr. Urey asked, “Could you tell me which way I was going when I met you?”
The puzzled professor looked back at him, pointed, and said, “That way, Dr. Urey.”
“Oh good,” he exclaimed, “That means I’ve already had my lunch!”
No matter how smart we may be, forgetfulness will always creep in now and then. Perhaps we forget a birthday, an appointment, or something else we think is very important. But what’s really important isn’t that we always remember every detail, it’s that we remember what truly matters.
When we forget something and feel bad about it, we must remember what really is important: to love God and love others. When we do that, then we’ll show grace to others when they forget things about us, and they’ll show grace to us when we forget.
Forgetfulness sometimes comes at the most inconvenient times. But don’t let it discourage you. Remember to keep the main thing the main thing. When you do that, the other details will fall into place!
Prayer Challenge
Ask God to help you remember what’s most important: to love Him and love others.
Questions for thought
When’s the last time someone forgot something about you that you expected them to remember? And when’s the last time you yourself forgot something you were expected to remember?
How can God’s grace in your life lead you to show grace to others when they’re forgetful?