Memory Upgrade

Our memory is like a computer, it stores everything that passes through our five senses: seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, and tasting. It takes these impressions and enhances them by our imagination and the results can be tragic if we are not discerning. Our memory is worked upon by the world, the flesh and the devil.

Jesus said, "It is from within that evil intentions emerge: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, indecency, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within and make a person unclean." (Mark 7:21-23)

We must be very careful what we allow to enter this computer, for it cannot easily be erased. If our faith in God is weak, our hope wavering and our love for Him cold we become easy prey for the attacks of the world, the flesh and the devil.

Jesus describes this plight when He asked us to judge a tree by its fruit. "A person's words flow out of what fills their heart. A good person draws good things from their storehouse of goodness; a bad person draws bad things from their storehouse of badness." (Matthew 12:34-35)

As children of God it is our happy privilege to radiate the goodness of our Father. This necessitates the obligation of allowing nothing to enter our memory made to His image that in any way mars or distorts that image.

Our memory must be compassionate towards those who have hurt us so we harbor no resentments, free of any recollection that makes us lose our self-control. Like an empty jar, it can only contain what we put in it.

We must fill our memory with good things, forgiving thoughts, compassionate understanding, and purity of heart. Hope replaces despair, and joy replaces sadness. The fresh air of God's grace replaces the sickening stench of evil as the garbage of bad thoughts disintegrates before the fire of God’s Merciful Love.