Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Forgetting is not just an older person’s game. It is a lifelong and frequent experience. According to neurologist Andrew Budson and neuroscientist Elizabeth Kissinger, one reason we don’t remember has to do with the failure to encode information in the first place. In their book, Why We Forget and How to Remember, they offer a mnemonic device of FOUR that explains a lot about our memory issues.

Focus attention

Organize the information

Understand the information

Relate it to something else your brain already knows

To be clear, we older folks often forget things, and often it takes a village to remember the thing we forgot! I can’t tell you how many times my wife and I work together to remember the name of a person, place, or thing. And sometimes it might take our friends joining in before we get to the right memory. But I have also watched people in their early 40s struggle with the same challenge, which probably reinforces what the scientists have figured out about our challenges with memory.

There are many things that impact our ability to remember: lack of sleep, disease, and stress or anxiety. I am no expert on memory, but I do think that the mnemonic device FOUR might be helpful in forging spiritual memories or information that can be helpful in our spiritual formation.

The third chapter of Proverbs relates to this discussion. In the very first verse we read: “My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments.” Solomon followed this verse with the benefits that come from not forgetting: “For length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you.” So, there are real and tangible benefits to remembering the important lessons of not only Proverbs but from all of scripture.

If we think about FOUR, we quickly discover some of the reasons our lives are filled with so much forgetting of spiritual truth. Lack of focus may be our first problem. How many times have we picked up our Bibles out of a sense of obligation and looked at our watch and thought, I only have two or three minutes, but I need to read and pray. I have done it many times and some scripture and some prayer is better than none, but how would it be different if we actually took time to focus on what we are reading and hearing from God’s word?

The rest of FOUR seems relevant but takes a little time and effort. What if we did organize the spiritual truth we are reading? Maybe we write it down on a notecard or type it into a text to ourselves. What if we pause to consider how this truth applies to our lives? Or we take a minute and look at a commentary or discuss this principle with a friend? And of course, relating this truth to other things we have learned from scripture and from our spiritual mentors helps strengthen our memory and our application of God’s truth.

In chapter three there are three verses that I pray nearly every day:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

The repetition not only helps me remember these verses, but it helps me challenge myself to ask, “Am I applying this verse in the events and challenges of today?”

We all have moments of forgetfulness. But as long as our brains continue to function, we would do well to regularly read scripture, write it down, memorize it, discuss it with others, and apply it to our lives. When we do, we might just be surprised by the peace that is added to our lives and the growth that we will experience as we seek to participate in the kingdom of God here and now.

Father, thank you for your word that teaches us, directs us, and helps us know you and enables us to love and serve others. Help us to slow down so that we can hear from you and focus on your wisdom and your great love for us in Christ. Today we pray that our trust in you would grow and our reliance on self would weaken. We acknowledge you as Lord and ask that you would direct our steps today. In Jesus’ name, amen.