On ANZAC Day, people from Australia & New Zealand are asked to stop and remember military men and women who fought, and especially those who died, for our countries in war. It seems to me that this is a good thing to do, because for most of the other 364 days in the year, I am probably not that mindful of these men and women.
The way we usually remember is by taking some time out; whether it is a minute in silence, or an hour or two watching the ANZAC Day march, or even some time in prayer. But it seems to me that the affect of this remembering is often short lived. Come the next day, most people are not consciously mindful of the ANZACs. Remembering is a once a year event.
In 2 Timothy 2:8 Paul commands Timothy (and all Christians) to; “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David.”
What does Paul mean here by the word “remember”? Does Paul want Timothy and us to stop once in a while (maybe once a year) and have a minute silence? No. Does Paul want us merely to recall Jesus in our minds? No.
To remember Jesus Christ involves thinking about Jesus, but it to goes beyond that. Remembering Jesus means a continuous, conscious orientation of your life. In other words, we are not just to remember Jesus once in a while, but continuously. He should always be at the forefront of our minds. And our lives should reflect our remembering as we strive to live lives of obedience to Jesus. Remembering implies living the way Jesus taught us to live.
So how are you going at remembering Jesus?
Do you remember him every now and then, without Him impacting your life? Or do you strive to remember Jesus often, with the desire to love Him, imitate Him, obey Him, serve Him and submit to Him? This is a major challenge, isn’t it. Life is so busy. We are all time poor. There is so much to see and do. And when it comes to living out my faith, I can be pretty lazy.
But it seems to me that remembering Jesus Christ may just about be the most important key to living the Christian life well. And the best way to do this is by opening up your Bible and prayerfully reading it.
So remember Jesus: Lest We Forget.