How Not To Forget People

Today, people will be firing up grills and jumping into pools. It is Memorial Day in the USA. Many look to today as the beginning of summer, but it was originated as a day of remembrance for those who had given their lives sacrificially. Do we really need a national holiday to remind us of these people?

Yes, we do because we are forgetful people. We forget things all the time (where are the keys, today's our anniversary?, am I supposed to go right or left at the intersection?). Some things we would love to forget. Some of the precious memories that we have though we try our best to hold close.

Outside of a relationship with Jesus Christ, people are the most important things here on earth. How can we work not to forget them? The Bible in Philippians 1 shows us a couple ways that we can use to make people unforgettable in our lives.

1. Be thankful for them. If we want to make people unforgettable, then we need to be thankful for them. We need to realize that "every perfect gift is from above, coming from the Father of lights" (James 1:17). When was the last time that you said thank you to God for placing certain people into your life? When was the last time you told someone that you were thankful that God placed them into your life. Expressing thanks to and for people can help make them unforgettable.

2. Pray for them. It is hard to forget people that you are praying for. Paul told the Philippian believers that he always prayed joyfully for them (Philippians 1:4). We pray for what we think is important. The things that we bring before the Lord on a regular basis are the important things in our lives. It's hard to forget something that you are constantly bringing before the Lord.

3. Partner with them to advance the Gospel. In Philippians 1:5, Paul remembered their partnership in advancing the Gospel. The Philippian church was comprised of mainly Gentiles who did not know much if anything about God prior to their encounter with Paul. As he shared the Gospel with these people, they accepted it and joined Paul in sharing it with others. When we work together with people to advance the Gospel, a bond is created that is not easily forgotten.