One of my favourite scenes in all the Star Trek movies is the one where Spock does a mind meld with McCoy and tells him, “Remember.” It strikes me in a really deep way because so often in my life, in the busyness of things, I don’t…

Remembering is one of the most important motifs in all the Bible. The Israelites were called to remember by erecting monuments along their journeys as reminders of God’s faithfulness. Christians are called to remember through the partaking of the Lord’s Supper.

Deuteronomy 6:6-8 says this: “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.”

When our lives are cluttered with distractions, how do we keep what is most important front and centre in our hearts and minds? How do we remember the things God wants us to treasure? The answer can partly be found in Deuteronomy 6:8, “Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.” Now that does sound a little strange doesn’t it?

I think the point Moses makes here is the truth that we need to be reminded that God’s Word needs to be the subject of our continual meditation, part of our daily conversation and the focus of how we live our lives… our obedience.”

God not only gave His people a full set of rules for living, but He also gave them instructions about how to remember His words. This passage contains the greatest commandment (Deuteronomy 6:5, see also Matthew 22:36–40) and offers some practical house rules.

The context of this passage is God’s law and how it should be the subject of continual meditation, conversation, and obedience. Christians often mistake the church (service, Sunday School, clubs, etc) as the primary learning place when in reality, the home was to be the primary training centre for faith in God and for the importance of His commands for healthy living. Parents who model and teach these truths to their children throughout the day provided the best lessons for children.

Unfortunately, over the centuries, the Israelites transformed Deuteronomy 6:8 from a vivid command into a hollow re-enactment of God’s truth. Instead of being as signs or as symbols, snippets of God’s laws had become trinkets worn for show. The symbols had replaced what they were intended to symbolize.

We see that with how the cross is used today in art and jewellery. Another version of that empty practice might be someone who claims to love God’s Word, brags about owning fifteen copies of the Bible, but never actually reads it. They just may collect dust on a shelf or on the night stand? Or it may be like someone who does a daily devotional without letting those truths have an impact on his day. It may also be someone who goes to church but could not name any specific issue God is working on in her life. I think if we are honest, we have all fallen into one of those categories…

So what’s the key to remembering what is most important? The verses above illustrate God’s answer: the more integrated spiritual practices become in our daily lives, the less we have to worry about remembering them. If we settle for our children just opening their Bibles on Sundays and expect them to grow, we are doing them a disservice and forgetting our responsibilities as parents. Even reading the Bible to our kids once a week may not be enough… we need more reminders!

But if our lifestyle revolves around God’s Word, then each day will be filled with teachable moments. We can talk about His provision when we sit down to a meal. We can ask Him to guard our travels together and separately throughout the day. We can lead our children in talking to God about their day in prayer as they lie down, and we can be ready to thank the Lord for a new day when we arise.

I can remember taking some Greek in school. One of the main disciplines in studying a new language is review and repetition. With Greek, you had to use cards with various words on them. When you ate, you read them. When you went to the bathroom, you read them. Before you went to bed, you read them. Why? Because if you stopped, you would forget…

Remembering what’s most important starts with your own practice of regular exposure to God’s Word and intentional decisions to obey what you read. Those under your roof and others who are watching should know God is the central presence in your home.

I can remember a number of years ago a video of former NBA star, Alan Iverson commenting on his coach wanting him to practice and his desire not to. He kept saying, “it’s just practice, it’s not the game…” The reality is, practice is important as it helps us to learn and remember what is important and how things should work. It is no different with ourselves and our children. As you help them recognize the Lord and how much He cares about daily moments in their lives, you will remember just how much His guidance matters to you, too.

Now, none of us are perfect in these ideals. However, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t put the effort into trying to be the men, women and children of God He wants us to be. Remembering is part of that. It is active and it requires effort and in the end, the effort will pay off both in your own life and in the lives whom God has entrusted into your care.