Remembering Individually

The word remember echoes throughout Scripture. It appears in almost all the books of the Bible:

“God remembered Noah. . . .”

“I will remember my covenant. . . .”

“Do this to remember me. . . .”

Remembering is an essential part of the life of faith, but we don’t always think of it as a spiritual discipline. Here are some ways to practice remembering in your day-to-day life.

Remember God

  • Set aside time in your day to focus on remembering God—turning your heart toward God fully and intentionally. Make time to talk and to listen to God.
  • Be alert for “God-moments” throughout your day. Recognize them for what they are, rather than a coincidence or a happy accident.
  • Take time to prepare your heart before participating in communion. Remember both the great sacrifice and the wonderful gift of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Experience both the deep sorrow and the great joy.

Remember how God has acted in your personal history 

  • Grab some paper and a pen and create a “faith timeline”—a record of how God has acted in your life from birth until today.
  • Set aside one day a year (such as New Year’s Day or your birthday) to both look back on what God has done and to look forward to how God may lead you in the future.
  • Remember God by giving thanks for God’s faithfulness, grace, provision, and love in your life.

Remember how God has acted in your family or community history

  • What stories can you tell of God’s faithfulness through the generations of your family or community (perhaps even in ways that some members haven’t recognized)?
  • What traditions might you create at family or community gatherings to help you remember God’s faithfulness?

Remember your neighbor

  • Learn the names and stories of the people in your apartment building, your dorm, your neighborhood, your church.
  • Watch for opportunities to be of service, to comfort your neighbor, to encourage.
  • Consume news media with an eye toward “remembering your neighbor”—calling forth compassion rather than criticism, seeing your neighbor as a person created in the image of God, and heeding any calls to action that the Spirit might lay on your heart.