5 Sure Fire Ways to Forget God’s Word
When I first started teaching, I taught the little ones. Two years of second grade and five years of first grade. And while I absolutely love teaching middle and high school now, back then, I absolutely loved teaching the younger students. One of my favorite things to do with my elementary classes was to read great books to them. I amassed a fantastic collection of picture books that I could read to my students each day when they were gathered at my feet on the colorful carpet. It was definitely my favorite time of the day.
One fun book I always used to read toward the start of the school year was called, “How to Lose All Your Friends,” by Nancy Carlson. If that title isn’t an attention grabber, then I don’t know what is! Just by announcing the name of the book, I caught the special attention of students—maybe even some who might otherwise have been daydreaming. It was unexpected! Wait, she’s reading a book about how to lose all my friends? Don’t we usually talk about how to make and keep good friends?
As you can imagine, the book ultimately has a traditional message about being a good friend, but it approaches things from an untraditional angle. The pages say things like: Never smile. Never share. Be a bully. Be a poor sport. Tattle. Whine. And the final page reads, “If you follow these instructions, you’ll be able to eat all the cookies you want. And you will have no friends to bother you.”
Of course, this sets up the most perfect teaching moment that is both memorable and impactful. A teacher’s dream come true!
I was rereading the story of Peter’s denial in Luke 22 recently, and I found myself thinking about a traditional message from an untraditional angle. Can I share it with you?
First, just a friendly reminder that during Jesus’ final meal with His disciples, He told Peter that Peter would deny knowing Jesus three times before the rooster crowed later that very day. Then, after Jesus’ arrest (later that day), Peter (by himself) followed where the temple guard took Him, and Peter promptly sat down a little ways away with a group of folks gathered around a fire and denied knowing Jesus. Three different times. Then, Luke 22:61 says:
The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.”
Sooo Jesus had warned Peter about exactly what would happen, but by the time it did happen, Peter had already forgotten Jesus’ warning. (And not even one day had passed.)
Inspired by Peter’s experiences on the day of Jesus’ arrest, this brings us to my own personal spin on Nancy Carlson’s book:
How to Forget Jesus’ Words
If you don’t want to remember the Word of God as you go about your daily life, follow these simple instructions:
- Isolate yourself. Make sure you keep some distance from your friends and family who are fellow believers in Jesus. If those people are nearby, they might remind you of Bible verses, helpful doctrines from Scripture or instructions the Holy Spirit has impressed on your heart. Staying away from these kinds of people will help you forget Jesus’ words as quickly as possible.
- Position yourself right in the middle of chaotic and confusing situations. When emotions are running high, keep yourself right there in the thick of things. No matter how the chaos might impact your thoughts, words and actions, trust that the probable negative impact is for the best. No matter what, do no attempt to retreat to a place of peace and orderly calm where you can gather yourself and refocus your attention on God. By embracing staying in the chaos, you will be sure to forget Jesus’ words much more effectively.
- Keep distance between yourself and Jesus. Do not open your Bible, do not communicate with Him in prayer, do not listen to worship music, do not attend a church service or small group Bible study, and for Heaven’s sake, do not prioritize silence and solitude where you can drown out the world and focus more intently on God. If you want to forget Jesus’ words to you, definitely refrain from doing any spiritual practice that might bring you even one bit closer to Him.
- Stay wrapped up in yourself. Especially if you have witnessed a traumatic event, try to keep your attention fixed on you. Whatever you do, do not turn to any godly people or resources who can provide wise counsel and guide you in the right direction. Let your thoughts and emotions swirl inside of you. They may elevate into panic, denial or a variety of other negative reactions. If that’s happening, you know you’re on the right track to avoid any reminders of God’s Word.
- Pursue literal darkness whenever possible. If you start to think that getting into a space of soothing, healing light might help, repress that thought immediately. Stay in the actual dark. Whether you hunker down in a dark room or take a walk in the middle of the night, just try your best to do things in the darkness. If you wait until morning when the sun is shining and your heart/mind might feel renewed with a fresh point of view, Jesus’ words of truth might start creeping back in. So stay in the dark.
If you follow these instructions, you’ll be able to stop yourself from remembering and internalizing Jesus’ words. His words won’t be there to guide you, instruct you, correct you, encourage you or give you hope. You will be left alone to your own thoughts and ideas, which is just what you wanted all along.
THE END
Am I hating on Peter here? Not intentionally! Peter was in an absolute nightmare of a situation that I do not envy one bit. Emotions were high, and I truly think he was just trying to do the best thing he possibly could while staying loyal to Jesus. Had I been in His shoes, there’s a good chance my response to the situation would have been far worse. But I think this passage from Scripture can teach us valuable lessons about what to do and what not to do when we’re trying to live with Jesus’ words front of mind. We might as well use Peter’s difficult experience to our advantage and see what we can learn from him, don’t you think? 🙂