The danger of a good memory

I recently heard a Christian say that one of the most dangerous things we could possess is a good memory. I must admit that over the last several years I have often been frustrated that my memory is so bad, nothing like it was in my school days when I could easily recall all kinds of information. But when I heard that comment, it felt like I received a jolt directly from the heavenlies. Suddenly I understood the danger of a good memory. A good memory can keep us from seeking the Spirit. It can keep us from being open to fresh, timely words from God. A good memory tempts us to rely on ourselves instead of God. This is especially dangerous for ministers. When they rely on their memory, they end up giving messages that are birthed from the vast storage of information in their memories instead of from the Spirit. Our culture values education, degrees, and qualifications. However, we must be different. We cannot rely on what was learned in the past - even from the best seminaries. The church is starving for a timely, fresh word from the Spirit. Oh, may we have leaders who are sufficiently dead to their own abilities, including their memory, and eager to wait on the Lord for his WORD.Diane

This is a very meaningful subject to me in that I was given a psychiatric tablet for 4 years that made me continually ill. I told them I was physically ill etc. and that I could not remember what happened a minute ago, which I now know was drug induced amnesia rare side effect. Memories instantly erased as they happened. I cannot remember my life or the life of my family for that 4 years. A smigin I can now and then. They still tell me things now, I have no memory of.I could not go to church for 4 years. I leant on God completly, I cried many times. I suffered with complete body exhaustion and more. They finally aknowledged that it was makeing me ill. I no longer take that tablet and there are two more tablets to deal with.I know the effects of memory loss and the tablet took away all my abilities. I could not do very much at all. I just exhisted each day. It is a terrible place to be.Alarm bells are ringing and I cannot agree with the Idea of... Quote. "dead to their own abilities, including their memory"AND.....Quote. "Oh, may we have leaders who are sufficiently dead to their own abilities, including their memory, and eager to wait on the Lord for his WORD.Diane" Quote. "sufficiently dead to their own abilities, including their memory"Your prayer, that God could answer literally, could render the leaders just that. Then were will the church be. Psychiatrists could term their condition as senile. By the time the Leaders have given up their.Quote. "dead to their own abilities, including their memory" They would be left in a position of not being able to remember, what they were going to do next.This all may seem very serious it is. If you look at EliBarnabus "My new Prayer" and then his next posting Needing prayer you will see the reasoning of this statement.ConcernedBe carefull what we pray, God answers prayerellie

sufficiently dead to their own abilities, including their memoryI think of the apostle Paul who counted it all "rubbish" - ie his past education, heritage etc. His knowledge and his past experiences and his memory of it were no longer the source of his credibility as a spiritual leader. I don't know if he suffered from anmesia. But we do not that he learned to rely on God through intense suffering. If he didn't, his writings would have been tainted with human wisdom. ....... I can relate to your struggles with amnesia. When I had Chronic Fatigue Syndrone, there were times wnen I could not even remember how to make a meal. I did a lot of stupid and embarassing, even some dangerous things because of failed memory. During those terrible days I, just like you, learned to trust in God like never before. He seemed to tell me whatever I needed to know at the moment. Ex: I remember times when I was driving and forgot where to go, he showed me, supernaturally. (sometimes in the midst of exaspiration and tears)Now I can say that it was worth it all, because I learned to seek after something far better - the "mind of Christ". Thanks so much, Ellie, for sharing about your trials. No doubt you continue to discover that God is strong when you are weak. And he doesn't ever forget about you!!! Diane

Thankyou for your kinds words and sharing Your experiences and I will look at that scripture.I really have to go to sleep its in the night but I am not telling you the time cos it is late.ellie

ellie, i do agree with you, i went through the same thing, only it lasted maybe a few months at the peak of depression, everything that was said dissipated after the word ended whether it be my words or anothers speaking was very hard because my mind was blank 24/7 a sentence was a spontaneous and frustrated expulsion from my mouth and a reply was incomprehensible. only through really leaning on God and having everyone around me pressing in to me, prayer, God had me overcome, thought process is still slow as and this happened over a year ago. i dont wish that on anybody, its torturous and hardly helps you move forward, short adn long term memory are a gift, a sheer privelage, dont take it for granted and throw them away. your mind has the power to turn you into all sorts of things, but more importantly, memory, if ever a hinderance is only because you have consciously or sub consciously refused to let go of something in your past and it is dragging you down. you know what they say: the mind is a terrible thing to waste.