Do You Not Remember?
By Steve Backlund
Jesus asked his disciples, “Do you not remember?” (Mark 8:18). When God asks us questions, He is not looking for information, but is setting us up for revelation. “Do you not remember?” has a surprising impact on our Romans 12:2 mind renewal journey.
The renewing of the mind does not happen by osmosis. We don't necessarily renew our minds by attending church or reading the Bible (both of which are important). We renew our minds by deciding not to believe specific lies but replacing those with the truth.
How do we determine what truths to renew our minds with? Here are three great sources:
God’s promises - “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us” (2 Corinthians 1:20).
Our born again identity - “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:11).
Prophetic words - Paul said this to a young leader, “This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare” (1 Timothy 1:18).
There is a fourth source I want to mention that is important for mind renewal - it is our testimonies and the testimonies of others. This is the main point of Mark chapter 8:13-21. In the beginning of the chapter there is the miracle of the feeding of the 4000. Then the disciples got into a boat to go to the other side, but they had forgotten to bring bread. (I chuckle when I read this because it shows the humanity of the disciples and even Jesus). They did have one loaf, but they didn't believe it was enough. Then Jesus talks to them about the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod. The disciples completely misunderstood what Jesus was saying, and they wrongly focused on their lack of physical bread as what He was talking about.
It was in the midst of this conversation that Jesus said, “Do you not remember?” Jesus then asks them questions about the feeding of the 5000 and the feeding of the 4000 and how much was left over from it. The main point that Jesus was bringing was that past testimonies of God's goodness are to impact how we see current situations.
As we renew our minds with what God has done, it will help us build the belief systems to think God’s thoughts about situations in our lives now. Testimonies demonstrate the goodness of God. Romans 2:4 says, “The goodness of God leads you to repentance.” Repent means to change the way we think.
One of the main purposes of our memories is to rehearse what God has done. As we intentionally remember the blessings and breakthroughs in our lives (and in the lives of others), we will be engaging in one of the most important aspects of mind renewal. We can take this renewal to an even greater level when we put language to the truths in the testimonies. Truths like:
God brings breakthrough through unlikely people (consider David defeating Goliath)
God supernaturally cancels debt (consider the widow in 2 Kings 4)
God brings provision from sources we do not expect (money for taxes was in a fish’s mouth)
It is never too late for a miracle (consider the man who was lame for 38 years in John 5)
God restores relationships where there has been hatred (consider Jacob and Esau’s reconciliation)
“Do you not remember?” What a question for us. Let’s remember regularly (renew our minds with) what God has done and let it impact how we see life today.
I will close with a quote from Bill Johnson. “You know your mind is renewed when the impossible looks logical.” That is what Jesus wanted the disciples to believe when they thought about the lack of bread they had.