Remember on Purpose: Building Stronger Faith in God

I wish that I had really muscular, well-toned arms.

I also really wish that wishing made that happen.

I wish I loved lifting weights. I wish I woke up excited about bicep curls, dumbbells, and all the other things required to get the arms I want.

I wish. I wish. I wish.

Unfortunately, muscles don’t grow because I wish for them. They grow because I work them out. Repeatedly. Consistently. Even when I don’t feel like it.

It takes discipline to grow muscle. And it takes discipline to grow spiritual muscle, too.

I wish I never worried about what might happen next. I wish that when anxiety rudely tried to push its way into my life, it was always met with complete confidence in the faithfulness of God.

I wish I always remembered: God has me. He has been faithful before. He will be faithful again.

I wish that when a particularly difficult person stood in front of me, I would be so filled with God’s love that somehow it would spill over onto them.

I wish. I wish. I wish.

But wishing doesn’t grow that kind of faith either. It takes practice. It takes discipline.

And I think one of the most overlooked spiritual disciplines is simply this: remembering the faithfulness of God. On purpose.

Psalm 9 begins:

“I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.”
—Psalm 9:1 NIV

David, the shepherd turned king, knew both caves and castles. He knew what it was to be hunted and afraid. He also knew what it was to see God deliver him.

David had history with God.

And look at the words he chose: I will.

I will give thanks. I will tell. I will remember.

I will. I will. I will.

Throughout the Psalms, God’s people deliberately recall what He has done. They tell the stories. They sing about them. They pass them down.

Because we forget. I know I do.

I have a Google device on my kitchen counter that constantly scrolls through photographs—friends, adventures, family, my children when they were little, moments I never want to forget. Sometimes one photo takes me right back.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we had something like that for the faithfulness of God? A screen continually flashing moments from our lives:

Remember when God provided?

Remember when you thought you wouldn’t make it through that season—and you did?

Remember that prayer He answered?

Remember the door He opened—or the one He closed that you later thanked Him for closing?

Remember when He gave you peace that made absolutely no sense considering what was happening around you?

Those moments are there. We just have to remember them. On purpose.

Because when life gets hard, it’s easy to forget what we already know: God has been faithful.

When the next hard thing comes, I don’t have to begin my faith story from scratch. I have history with God. I can look backward and say, You were there. And then look forward and say, So I will trust You here.

Faith has a memory.

And the stronger that memory becomes, the less easily fear gets to rewrite the story.

So let’s work on those spiritual muscles. Write down answered prayers. Keep track of the ways God provides. Tell the stories around the dinner table. Talk about them with your children and grandchildren. Revisit them when you’re afraid.

My arms aren’t going to get stronger because I stare at the weights. And my faith isn’t going to get stronger because I wish I trusted God more.

Both require exercise.

So workout buddies, it’s time to do our reps.

Ready? Together now.

I will remember. I will give thanks. I will tell of His wonderful deeds.

I will. I will. I will.