Bible memory is much easier to CONTINUE doing than to START doing!
I went to the gym and did a workout this afternoon. I confess I was tired and I could feel my “flesh” trying to talk me out of going.
But see, the operative word there is “feel”. My “flesh” — my “feelings” — were trying to influence me. But my mind knew the truth: there would eventually be consequences if I don’t go the gym and do my weight-bearing workouts regularly. Same with my cardio workouts every morning before breakfast. I’m willing to suffer a little discomfort each day in order to get good reports from my doctor!
Stated another way: I do not allow my “flesh” to vote on whether or not I’m going to the gym. I’ve already decided. There will be no “not-going”!
I remember a time years ago when, for various reasons, I skipped going to the gym for over three months. My mind knew I ought to be doing those workouts, and so I determined I would start again.
I was shocked at how hard it was to start working out again! My “flesh” did NOT want to start doing those exercises again!
So here’s what I did: for the first few weeks, I went only once each week. That became a habit, and I decided to increase it to twice each week. Not long after that, I increased it to three times each week. And for nearly ten years, I’ve been going four times a week.
I wondered, though, why it felt so hard at first do do again what I had done regularly just a few months earlier?
I believe there’s a law of physics that provides the answer:
Every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an external force is applied to it.” ~ Sir Isaac Newton
I’ve also seen it stated this way:
A body at rest remains at rest, and a body in motion remains in motion.
So… What Does This Have To Do With Bible Memory?
BUT: Your Spirit *KNOWS* That God Longs To Meet Regularly With You In His Word!
The difficulty is: in the classic “tug-of-war” between your flesh and your spirit, the one you feed always wins! So you have to decide deliberately to feed your spirit; to make it stronger. In the past your spirit has been weak and emaciated.
But good news: feelings follow faith!
You have to begin with a step of faith.
Think of it like this. If you decided to build up your muscles and began lifting weights today, would you look at your muscles after only the first workout or two and say, “I don’t see any difference. This isn’t working!”?
Of course not. Everyone knows it’s going to take time. But if you exercised diligently, by the same time a year later you’d be amazed at how much stronger you were.
In the same way, Bible memory takes time also.
When it comes to strengthening your muscles, no matter how diligent you are in doing your exercises, there will be a last day. It’s inevitable, because our bodies were designed to wear out.
In contrast, the investment you make by putting God in His rightful first place in your life and knowing God through the Bible memory discipline of “hiding His Word in your heart” — that investment will pay dividends for eternity!
Thus, once you’ve formed the Bible memory habit — even if you start with only ten or fifteen minutes a day — you’ve “set the body in motion”. It becomes easier to keep it in motion.
Someone has said, regarding Bible memory:
“If it’s important to you — you’ll do it.
If it’s NOT important to you — you WON’T do it.”
You may be thinking, “I ought to do this”? But will you? There are two spiritual kingdoms — heaven and hell — watching to see which choice you will make.
MAKE IT A GOOD ONE! CHOOSE BIBLE MEMORY!
… and you’ll rejoice in your decision for all of eternity!
- Jan
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