Simple…Powerful

Posted on March 3, 2015 by Graeme Wilson in Victory Call

Trust in Jehovah with all thy heart, And lean not upon thine own understanding: In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he will direct thy paths. — Proverbs 3:5-6

The other day during youth group, we discussed how Jesus is our ultimate champion and advocate. But sometimes in the midst of a hard time we “forget” who He is to us and choose to take matters into our own hands, using worldly devices (mean words, vindictiveness, cheating, etc.) to fight our battles rather than trusting and obeying God’s Word.

So I posed the question: What does it mean if we forget who Jesus is to us?

Most of the young people in the group said,

“Well, we are human and that happens.”

“We aren’t perfect.”

Which seem like perfectly rational, honest responses, right?

Then, one young man, who doesn’t attend church regularly and on some occasions has demonstrated great irreverence for God, gave the most profound answer.

He quietly stated, “It means He’s not truly in our heart because you don’t forget something that is.”

Simple…Powerful.

In other words, our ability to disobey His instructions, lose our tempers, be selfish, go ahead of God’s pace, or to just “forget” who Jesus is to us, simply means we aren’t as surrendered and in love with God as perhaps we might have thought. As a responsible wife and mother, I don’t “forget” my husband and daughter because I’m having a bad day. So how then do I “forget” the God of the universe?

I make a choice. I choose not to love Him.

I believe it’s tragic when I “forget” God in my situation. Jesus is not our last resort. He’s our primary resource.

If we can forget and choose not to love God, even for a moment, perhaps we should examine our hearts and ask for help in loving Him. It’s not something to beat ourselves up about, but we shouldn’t be so cavalier to respond with a stock answer, “I’m human!” Yes, we know that. But through these situations, God allows us to see the condition of our heart towards Him. Let’s not so easily dismiss the invaluable revelation He is giving us. He is calling us to holiness, not lip service!

So I am asking, how is your love for Him? If you have forgotten Him recently, simply acknowledge it and ask for help in your capacity to love Him. He will not withhold His help and mercy from you. We are to give Him our whole heart, not just a part, for here is His promise to us in Isaiah 49:15-16:

“Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.”

Diera Mendez
Diera Shaw-Mendez is a minister and youth leader at New Beginnings Worship Center, Pennsauken, NJ, and works full-time for an educational nonprofit in Philadelphia. She is wife to Chaplain Juan Mendez and mama to Olivia Joy. She spends her “spare time” running an online invitation design shop on Etsy and write occasionally for her personal blog, With Style, By Grace. Diera is a God-fearing, Starbucks loving, tech junkie (…in that order!) who simply wants to inspire women to invest in THE beauty that never fades!