Forgetfulness is on the up-rise. Today, more then ever we are becoming forgetful; more and more things are slipping our minds. In part, the reason why we are becoming so forgetful deals with technology most of us use our phones to remind us of things on a daily basis. Still, there are many whose mind is suffering lost. Dementia, bi-polar and Alzheimer is becoming more evident not just in older people. There are 5 signs for Forgetfulness that appear evident in people’s mind that can be overcome. For example, remembering a frequent visited place, remembering a name or place when looking at an image and forgetting something over and over again are dangerous signs of forgetfulness. The disciples seemed to be going through a stage of forgetfulness when after the master feed about 15,000 people and found themselves hopeless after forgetting to bring bread to their journey. As parents, especially fathers one for the things that is most uncomfortable to us is when our kids use forgetfulness to justify negligence. But, the question that comes to mind when our kids forget things is is it negligence or is something happening to the minds of our children?
Mark 8:14-16
14 And they forgot to take bread; and they had not in the boat with them more than one loaf.15 And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.16 And they reasoned one with another, saying, We have no bread.
The disciples forgot to bring bread to their journey, so much bread and fish pieces they collected from the miracle of the 5,000 which took place right before their journey and yet they forgot to take some. Jesus took the symbolism of the bread and its quantity from the miracle and applied it to learning from the religious sector. Today, more then ever our children are bombarded with teaching from every sector. In fact, studies from the 90’s show that when placing a child under 2 in front of the television a shut down of the brain occurs; the right side which is our critical thinking shuts down and the left side which deals with emotions takes over. Our children are becoming forgetful thinkers. The values that we as parents teach our children are falling into the sea of forgetfulness. Forgetfulness affects our relationship with God (ps. 88:12), God’s righteousness does not abide in the land of forgetfulness. If we cannot remember to pray or read our bible how are we going to remember simpler things like to throw away the garbage. We become fruitful Christians when we exercise not being forgetful (2Pt. 1-8-10). When we make it a habit to remember even the simplest things such as dad’s request to through away the garbage we become doer’s of the word. Rehearsing to remember makes us better son’s, daughters, husbands and wives. James speaks to the church and says that if we do not allow our selves to become forgetful hearers we will be blessed (jms 1:25). Things happen when we begin to become forgetful an escalation of consequences happen. We tend to forget our place; our resting place, in Christ (Jer. 50:6). As parents when our children continue to become forgetful people an alternative that we use to correct the behavior is chastisement in the form of time out becomes a resource. Just like parents, when we as Christians become forgetful God use the process of chastisement (He. 12:5).