There are some things that I rarely seem to forget.  Rarely will I go a morning without having a mug of coffee.  Unfortunately, I am one of those who get a slight headache by noon if I haven’t had a coffee.  (I know, that’s telling me something…).

Sometimes I forget things that are important.  Sometimes I forget things when I leave the house in a rush.  My wife is accustomed to me coming back into the house a few minutes after I left because I forgot my phone, my watch or my wallet.  On a more important level, I am prone to forgetting people’s birthdays and anniversaries.  This doesn’t bother some people, yet I would like to remember so I can communicate how much they mean to me on their special day.  But I still forget.

Sometimes, when I read Scripture I realise I’ve forgotten an important part of the message Jesus delivered.   How could I forget something of such importance?  How is it that a component of such good news could fall outside my intention and focus?  Perhaps I hadn’t taken it seriously…?  Maybe I didn’t really understand it in the first place…?  Is it possible I had not given it priority in my heart or thinking…?

In thoughts like this I am reminded of what the author of Hebrews said, “we must pay more careful attention to what we have heard”.

If I paid more careful attention to what I’ve heard from Jesus, maybe I wouldn’t forget so much of what he said.  Could it be that the ups & downs I face in my attempts to become like Jesus would become less extreme if I paid more attention to what I’ve heard from him?  Is it possible that if I gave more careful attention to the message Jesus spoke, my pursuit of becoming more like him may become more consistent?

“We must pay more careful attention to what we have heard” (Hb 2.1)