This weekend was Remembrance, and we remembered our fallen soldiers who died to fight for our freedom in WW1, WW2 and the recent conflicts in the Middle East.
Pastor Jonny brought a message all about remembering.
We remember bad things more than good. When we receive feedback, we remember the criticism more than the praise, up to 5x more. This is why as a leader or manager, criticism should be constructive, and plenty of positive feedback should be given.
We remember bad things more because that’s how God designed our brains to work. It helps us avoid danger and protects us, and it helped our ancestors avoid poisonous plants and deadly animals.
In society today, however, our problems are more relational.
It’s still helpful to take negative feedback on board though. If we only ever focused on the positive feedback, we would end up narcissistic, thinking that we are perfect. Negative feedback can be helpful if we action it, because we will become a better version of ourselves.
God gives us positives in His Word, but He is not shy to call us sinners, and the Holy Spirit brings conviction. Instead of quenching the Spirit, embrace that conviction and become more Christ-like as you follow His leading.
8And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
(Philippians 4:8-9)
Another thing to bear in mind is that we remember how someone made us feel more than what they said. We need to remember that when delivering the truth to people, we ought to do it in love, with gentleness and respect. Make people feel significant in your interactions with them.
We see in the life of Jesus that when He encountered people, He made them feel amazed and in awe.
We need to remember the Gospel, remember what happened to Jesus. Remember your sin and remember that you need a Saviour.
Remember that Jesus was persecuted and crucified. When persecution comes to us as Christians today, we need to remember why they persecuted Jesus and remember that He promised that His followers would be persecuted.
This weekend was Remembrance Sunday. Remember what Jesus has done for us as a church and as individuals. Remember how He forgave us and called us into the family of God. Remember how it makes us feel when we think of Jesus on the cross. Jesus had to go to the cross for us, so we shouldn’t take our salvation lightly because we were bought at a price.
6Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
(John 14:6)
3Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief.
(Revelation 3:3)
Let’s never lose that wonder that comes when we remember. So let’s remember the people who went before us as soldiers to buy our freedom, but let’s also remember Jesus who went before us to take God’s wrath for our sins.