Memory Loss

Memory Loss

Forgetting what is behind and reaching for the prize

Know what you are reaching for

Paul says

 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

We should ask ourselves these questions, “Am I reaching for God?”

“Am I looking for Christ to fulfill me?”

Our grief is greater, when we are not secure in our relationship with God

Our loss should draw us closer to Him

Look at what Paul tells the Corinthians about our hardships

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles             2 Corinthians 1:3-5

God is our comfort, because He is compassionate

When there is a void in our lives, we need to be very careful how we fill it

If we reach for God and His prize He has for us, we will do well

But if we reach for something or someone else to bring us lasting comfort

It will only be for a season

Reach for a comfort and security that is eternal

 

 

 

Memory Loss

 

Losing your memory is a scary thing.

 

I think the greatest thing God gave us is the brain.

 

I love to think.

 

 It is rewarding to find answers to life.

 

I love memory flashbacks…

 

 When you can be doing something

and the mind gives you an image of some place

you have enjoyed in the past.

 

I can be in Toledo and in an instance,

 I can picture a beach in Florida.

 

Remembering where you put

your keys is a wonderful thing.

 

 Just forget where you put them once

and you will live in fear of doing it again.

 

Throughout the Scriptures we read
 we are to remember certain things like…

 

Jesus said,

 “Remember the words I spoke to you”

John 15:20

 

We are to remember the mistakes of others…

 

 “Remember Lot’s Wife”

Luke 17:32

 

Remember the warnings Paul said…

 

So be on your guard!

 Remember that for three years

 I never stopped warning each of you

night and day with tears.

Acts 20:31

 

Remember your victories

from your spiritual youth…

 

Remember those earlier days after you had received the light,

when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering.

Hebrews 10:32

 

Remember those in suffering…

 

Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners,

and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

Hebrews 13:3

 

God gave us the amazing ability to remember.

 

God has also given us the ability to forget.

 

 

I have a good pastor friend who once was

introducing his family to a church

he was speaking in and in that moment

could not remember his wife’s name.

 

Yes, not all memory loss is good.

 

Just as the scriptures tell us to remember…

 

 It also tells us to forget.

 

Paul tells us forgetting is the path to maturity.

 Philippians 3:13-15

 

This is not the same thing

as getting older is the path to

forgetfulness or Alzheimer’s.

 

You cannot forget something you think about.

 

If you are to forget something

you must make an exchange…

 

Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.

But one thing I do:

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God

has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:13-14

 

Choosing to forget takes

vision of something greater.

 

A lady in the church had lost her husband

it was very hard on her.

 

 

A few months later she came to me

with her new boyfriend.

 

She was still not over her grief

but the loss was so great

she was looking for someone to fill that void.

 

When they asked me to marry them,

I refused.

 

It was easy for me standing outside

her loss and emptiness…

 

To see she was not over her loss

and it was too soon to enter into marriage.

 

Sometimes letting go of one thing

to reach for another takes time…

 

 Because our judgment can be clouded.

  

Sadly, they went to the courthouse and got married.

 

A few months later she came to me in tears

and said, I wish I would have listened to you.

  

When we experience loss of something

or someone we love,

we are filled with grief.

 

 That grief tells us we had a great love

and now that love is just a memory.

 

A memory that brings hurt.

 

It is important that we let go properly.

 

Here are some points…

 

1.    Be grateful you had such a love that hurts so bad.

 

Giving thanks for those blessings in our lives

is always healthier than anger over your loss.

 

Working toward gratefulness keeps

the good memories alive

and the joy you had experienced.

 

2.    Know you cannot stay in your grief.

 

As strange as it may seem

we sometime want to be sad and give up

 

Grieving is good for a season

 but we need to remember it is a season,

not our destiny.

  

3.    Letting go takes reaching for something new.

 

We live in a time when we are told

“Get in touch with your feelings”.

 

Our feelings are a good servant

but a bad master.

 

Be sure your replacement is God

and His prize for you.

 

People and things will be part of

God’s prize, but seek Him first.

 

Forgetting what is behind and reaching for the prize.

 

Know what you are reaching for.

 

Paul says…

 

 I press on toward the goal to win the prize

for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

 

We should ask ourselves these questions…

 

 “Am I reaching for God?”

 

“Am I looking for Christ to fulfill me?”

 

Our grief is greater when we are not secure

in our relationship with God.

 

Our loss should draw us closer to Him.

 

Look at what Paul tells the Corinthians about our hardships…

 

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,

who comforts us in all our troubles

 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

 

God is our comfort,

because He is compassionate.

 

When there is a void in our lives,

we need to be very careful how we fill it.

 

If we reach for God and His prize

He has for us, we will do well.

 

But if we reach for something or someone else

to bring us lasting comfort, it will only be for a season.

 

Reach for a comfort and security that is eternal.

 

Scripture Reading

 

Philippians 3:12-16 NIV

 

12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

 

15 All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

 

 

2 Corinthians 1:3-7 NIV

 

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.