Spiritual Amnesia

Lamentations 3:21-26 New King James Version (NKJV) 21 This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. 22 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. Merriam Webster defines amnesia as; 1: loss of memory due usually to brain injury, shock, fatigue, repression, or illness 2: a gap in one's memory.

It is further stated that some causes of amnesia are brain injury, disease, drug or alcohol abuse, and the deterioration of the brain associated with old age or dementia. With amnesia, memory can be regained, or it can be lost forever. It can be complete, encompassing everything you ever knew, or it can be specific to a time such as the hours leading up to an accident or trauma. If you forget the meaning of a word, a name, or where you left your car keys, it's not amnesia, that's just the way the mind works sometimes.

You might as well admit it; all of us suffer from memory loss periodically.

A real case of spiritual amnesia occurred with the children of Israel in the Old Testament. It is amazing how quickly they forgot how gracious God had been to them delivering them from 400 years of Egyptian slavery. God broke pharaoh’s power and delivered a people who could not help themselves. As soon as they are free from the clutches of pharaoh, what happens? They start complaining. They complained, about food, water, direction the leader everything around them became a basis of complaint.

We can find ourselves with the same attitude in our spiritual lives. Grumbling about the weather. Complaining about work or other people. Focusing on obstacles rather than the times God has helped us. Like the ancient Israelites, we are prone to complain rather than thank the Lord for the victory he has promised.

Why does it seem so easy to complain? To focus on bad news, rather than good? To gossip about people behind their back rather than give them a compliment? To dwell on products that fall short rather than those that work well?

Because that’s what the enemy urges and pushes us to focus on. It’s the bait of distraction that he puts in the trap to get us to focus on anything but the goodness of God in our lives. When we don’t focus on how good God has been to us, when we have spiritual amnesia, Satan exploits that breach and causes our wandering minds to focus on something to complain about. How long has it been since you last complained about something or somebody? Philippians 2; 14 Do everything without complaining and arguing.

Next time you feel led to complain, realize who is leading you, it’s certainly not God. Don’t take the devils bait and start complaining, Fight through spiritual amnesia, think about how Good God has been to you and don’t complain.

Let me give you a big why… Grumbling, whining, and thanklessness are not ultimately the heart’s responses to circumstances, but to God. Israel grumbled at their enslavement, grumbled when Moses came on the scene, and still grumbled as they wandered safely in the wilderness. Their complaining wasn’t rooted in their scenery, but their heart.

The same is true for you.

A heart of gratitude and thankfulness isn’t dependent on your bank statement, doctor’s diagnosis, or the praise you receive for a job well done. Thanklessness and grumbling — regardless of your situation, even your suffering — reflect your heart. They are sin. Spiritual amnesia is a deadly disease that threatens your faith and your joy more than any cancer. It penetrates to the core and rots your heart from within.

Here is what I need you to do. 1. Realize complaining is a cancer of the heart and spirit. Stop it! Stop It! Stop it. It hurts you more than the thing or person you are complaining about. 2. Instead of complaining about someone or something else, Think about how good God has been to you,

Say this with me, I am through complaining, say it like you mean it, “I am through complaining” See how long you can go without taking the devil bait of complaining.