I have soul amnesia.

The dictionary defines amnesia as a loss of memories, such as facts, information, and experiences. And when I read the Bible I wonder if I am the only one with soul amnesia?

How many times do we fear the unknown when we know God has conquered hell? How many times do we judge our enemies when we know Jesus said judgment is My Father’s? How many times do we doubt when He says to believe? How many times do we stress about our lives instead of resting in Him?

Remind yourself

If you are a Child of God, you already know what you need to know to be all God wants you to be! I’m letting this truth sink in. Oh, Father God. 
We all know these commands, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength”(Matthew 22:37), “Love your neighbor as yourself”(Matthew 22:38), and “Seek the Kingdom of God before all things” (Matthew 6:33). If only we followed these three commandments as Jesus told us, we would live as peaceful conquerors. But we as people of the 21st century we like to complicate things, we fail to follow Jesus’ commandments and instead we make our own version of the commandments. Jesus says, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else”, and we think He means, “I will do my job during the week and I will give Jesus Sunday, that should be enough to fulfill the 4th commandment that says to keep the Sabbath Day Holy”. But does anywhere in the Bible Jesus say, do your own thing and give me at least a day during the week?

I agree with Samuel Johnson,  he said “People need to be reminded more often than they need to be instructed”. Sometimes I can’t believe how many times I have to remind myself some fundamental Biblical truths that I already know!

Twice, in two consecutive chapters David writes,

“Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him,
my salvation and my God” (Psalm 42:11).

Again in the following chapter, David talks to his soul:

“Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him,
my salvation and my God” (Psalm 43:5).

Have you been there? When your soul is so cast down that you need to remind yourself multiple times the faithfulness of God? Sometimes reminding yourself the truth is what keeps you breathing brave because you get to know that you are not alone!

Fight the good fight

Sometimes we forget that we need to fight for the health of our soul. The Apostle Paul spoke very highly of Timothy, in Philippians 2:20-22 he said: “Timothy, I have no one else like him… For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel”. In 2 Timothy 2:8, Paul told Timothy “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel,…”

Remember Jesus Christ? Very odd statement to write to one of your faithful Gospel-carrier, right? 

In Philippians we learn from the Apostle Paul that Timothy served with him in the work of the gospel! So why in the world was he reminding him to remember Jesus Christ since the gospel they preached together is all about Jesus Christ? Could it be because sometimes life becomes so hard and messy and we get entangled in it all that we forget that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead and that no suffering we go through ever goes in vain?

You and me should never forget that He sees and He knows the hardship that we have to sometimes walk through! He holds every moment of our breathing life in His hands. What’s more beautiful than that on this earth?

This is how we ought to fight the good fight:

“Share in the suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything” (2 Timothy 2:3-5; 7). 

Beloved, when whatever you are going through gets unbearable, remind yourself this:

God’s faithfulness

“If we have died with Him, we will also live
with him;
if we endure, we will also reign with Him
if we deny him, he also will deny us;
if we are faithless, he remains faithful-
for the cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:11-13). 

Life is hard, there is no going around about that but fight the good fight, nothing you go through is ever wasted. Hold tight to Jesus. Hold close His promises and before you know it, we will be singing with angels to the God who loved us since the beginning of time.