A Pastoral Word. . .
Pastor Mark Adams
April 28, 2022
If you’re like me, there are times when you become frustrated because you can’t remember something or other.
This week I came across an article by Bill Murphy, Jr. in Inc.com that says, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Murphy writes:
“As we age, many of us become distressed about our inability to recall names, words, or ideas as quickly as maybe we used to. But according to a new study, perhaps there is good reason for us not to be so upset.
Drs. Ryan and Frankland summarize, in an article on SciTechDaily.com: ‘Changes in our ability to access specific memories are based on environmental feedback and predictability. Rather than being a bug, forgetting may be a functional feature of the brain, allowing it to interact dynamically with the environment.’
Even so, what we think of as ‘forgetting’ is not a permanent state of being. Memories are stored in ensembles of neurons called ‘engram cells’---and forgetting occurs when engram cells cannot be reactivated. The memories themselves are still there, but it’s as if the memories are stored in a safe but you can’t remember the code to unlock it.
In other words, as a way of adapting to new circumstances, our brains automatically learn to prioritize certain memories and allow others go into cold storage. This cognitive adaptation, though occasionally embarrassing, has an upside. In a changing world, forgetting some memories can be beneficial as this can lead to more flexible behavior and better decision-making. If memories were gained in circumstances that are not wholly relevant to the current environment, forgetting them can be a positive change that improves our wellbeing.”
I must try and remember this the next time I get upset when I go downstairs to get something and when I get there, I can’t remember what I went to fetch!
But, here’s something more important I must remember---WE must remember.
When we repent of and confess our sins---God literally washes them away. He erases them. They are gone. Here’s a few Scriptural word pictures of this wonderful truth:
In Isaiah 38:17 God says, “He hides our sins behind His back.”
In Psalm 103:12 He says, “He buries them in the depth of the sea.”
In Hebrews 8:12 He says, “I will remember them no more.”
God wants us to be free from the crippling bondage of our former failures. Remember as Paul puts it in Romans 8:1, “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Remember that!
Keep the SON in your eyes!
Mark
This week I came across an article by Bill Murphy, Jr. in Inc.com that says, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Murphy writes:
“As we age, many of us become distressed about our inability to recall names, words, or ideas as quickly as maybe we used to. But according to a new study, perhaps there is good reason for us not to be so upset.
Drs. Ryan and Frankland summarize, in an article on SciTechDaily.com: ‘Changes in our ability to access specific memories are based on environmental feedback and predictability. Rather than being a bug, forgetting may be a functional feature of the brain, allowing it to interact dynamically with the environment.’
Even so, what we think of as ‘forgetting’ is not a permanent state of being. Memories are stored in ensembles of neurons called ‘engram cells’---and forgetting occurs when engram cells cannot be reactivated. The memories themselves are still there, but it’s as if the memories are stored in a safe but you can’t remember the code to unlock it.
In other words, as a way of adapting to new circumstances, our brains automatically learn to prioritize certain memories and allow others go into cold storage. This cognitive adaptation, though occasionally embarrassing, has an upside. In a changing world, forgetting some memories can be beneficial as this can lead to more flexible behavior and better decision-making. If memories were gained in circumstances that are not wholly relevant to the current environment, forgetting them can be a positive change that improves our wellbeing.”
I must try and remember this the next time I get upset when I go downstairs to get something and when I get there, I can’t remember what I went to fetch!
But, here’s something more important I must remember---WE must remember.
When we repent of and confess our sins---God literally washes them away. He erases them. They are gone. Here’s a few Scriptural word pictures of this wonderful truth:
In Isaiah 38:17 God says, “He hides our sins behind His back.”
In Psalm 103:12 He says, “He buries them in the depth of the sea.”
In Hebrews 8:12 He says, “I will remember them no more.”
God wants us to be free from the crippling bondage of our former failures. Remember as Paul puts it in Romans 8:1, “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Remember that!
Keep the SON in your eyes!
Mark
Posted in A Pastoral Word
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