Hope for Forgetful Moms
Mom, what are you forgetting right now? Your brain may be circulating a checklist of information to remember. Change the baby. Defrost the roast for dinner. Pay the electric bill. Take the kids to soccer at 4. Switch out laundry in an hour. Answer emails. The list goes on and on. Scientists say our working memory can hold about seven items at a time, but most days we feel like we’re juggling seven hundred.[1]
Screaming children, fatigue, and the constant interruptions of our phones force our brains into some of the hardest conditions to remember. The environment is far too distracting. I’ve faced these effects in one of my finer moments when I grabbed a plate from the pantry and poured myself a drink of water on it.
Our forgetful minds make for funny moments, but beneath the silly lurks the painful. Sometimes we forget what’s important. We forget our promises to our children and face the disappointment in their eyes. We forget the prayers we meant to say on behalf of a friend and feel defeated. We forget the sweet words of Scripture and we sin against our husband once again. Why can’t we seem to remember?
Fancy planners, the latest apps, or good old-fashioned sticky notes attempt to bridge the gaps in our memory, but even they won’t cure us completely. Our bent for forgetfulness actually stretches far beyond the rise of social media distraction. It traces its way through our family line to the very first bite of forbidden fruit. Adam and Eve forgot the character of the Lord, and they rebelled against his good command. Their descendants followed the same pattern throughout the Old Testament—time and again forgetting the Lord their Deliverer.
The newly freed Israelites grumbled in the wilderness, forgetting the redemption they had just received.[2] At the cusp of the promised land, they forgot Yahweh’s power and trembled at the Canaanite armies.[3] Once in the land, their kings forgot who provided their harvests and riches, and they worshipped trinkets of stone and wood instead.
Though these stories give us many lessons, the main point isn’t simply to get better at remembering. The Israelites didn’t need more sticky notes or a less distracting environment. The point isn’t the Israelites’ memory at all, but the memory of the Lord. Though God’s people continually forgot him, these narratives display that God never forgot them. And it’s the same for us today. As much as we forget, from the big to the small, our Father will never forget us.
Mankind’s forgetfulness weaves its way throughout the pages of the Bible, but God’s remembrance is tethered right next to it. God even etched his remembrance in a visual picture that became part of the Israelites’ daily life: the sacrificial system.
God instructed the high priest of Israel to wear an ephod—a garment—which had the twelve names of Israel engraved into stones on his shoulders and again on his breastplate. The high priest would bear their names upon his body as he came into the presence of the Lord to offer sacrifice. The names were there “to bring them to regular remembrance before the Lord” (Ex. 28:29).
Of course, God doesn’t need anyone to remind him, but this is anthropomorphic language— language that gives human traits to God in order to help us understand him. God gave his people a visual and constant reminder of his character. He wouldn’t forget them, even as they repeatedly forgot him. Each time the high priest entered the holy of holies, the Israelites knew the names of each clan went with him. They had proof they were not forgotten.
This beautiful, meaningful reminder pointed to a future we now hold. We don’t have a sacrificial system, but we do have a High Priest in Jesus Christ.[4] Just as Aaron wore the names of God’s people on his garment, Christ comes before the Father bearing our own names. Though we at times forget his goodness, his redemption, and his law, we can be sure that our High Priest “always lives to make intercession” for us (Heb. 7:25). Christ is our eternal advocate, ensuring that we are not forgotten.[5]
It’s a good practice to work on our memory. We can use helpful tools and tricks to help us as we seek to manage schedules, dinners, and deadlines. Yet as long as we are on this earth, we will continue to forget. The work of the Holy Spirit is a patient work that takes our whole life, until the day we stand before the Lord—whole.[6]
In the meantime, our forgetfulness will cause pain, and we might grow weary of committing the same sin again and again. But when we repent to our Savior, we can be certain that he will never forget us. He won’t forget to show us mercy. He won’t forget to lavish us with his grace. He won’t forget we’ve been bought and washed clean by the work of Christ. No matter how much we forget, we belong to the Lord who never will.
The next time you find yourself frustrated over something you’ve forgotten, think of your precious Savior. Your High Priest bears your name before the Lord—always faithful to his forgetful people.
[1] Miller, George A. “The Magical Number Seven, plus or Minus Two: Some Limits on Our Capacity for Processing Information.” Psychological Review 101, no. 2 (April 1994): 343. doi:10.1037/0033-295X.101.2.343.
[2] Numbers 11:1-6
[3] Numbers 14:1-4
[4] Hebrews 4:14-16
[5] 1 John 2:1
[6] Philippians 1:6
