"Don't You Forget That"

My son, do not forget my teaching,
but let your heart keep my commandments,
for length of days and years of life
and peace they will add to you.
Proverbs 3:1-2 ESV

I’m sure we as parents have had several conversations with our children and at the end added for good measure “and don’t you forget that”. I know I heard those words on several occasions growing up. The reality is we all forget things. I know I’ve forgotten more things than I can remember.

One of the priorities of parenting is to pass on to our children things worth remembering. Things they would do well not to forget. Are we doing that? So how do we help them not to forget?

I think we have some important principles given to us in verse one.
Often in the Bible the words heart and mind are used interchangeably. “As a man thinks in his heart” is one example. Although the mind and heart are often linked together they are not the same. Let me see if I can illustrate the difference.

“Do not forget my teaching” - this is a directive aimed at the mind. Teaching is information and my mind has all kinds of room for information. If there was a sign on my forehead it would read “space for rent”. My mind is not even close to being filled to capacity. All of us use a surprisingly small amount of our brain on a daily basis.

Not so with our hearts. The heart in scripture speaks of the real us, our wills, our passions, our desires, etc. Our hearts are filled to capacity. Our hearts are fortresses of “self”. When information comes into our minds before it can touch our hearts it must pass through a maze of filters and interviews before it is granted access to move into our heart. Once our heart deems something to be of value, it puts it’s own “and don't you forget that” on it. Until the heart does that we will not remember.

That’s why Psalm 119:11 says “Thy Word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” What we hide in our heart is what we consider to be of great value to us. What we hide in our hearts we will remember.

What Proverbs 3:1-2 is telling us is this.

If we are to not forget the teaching of scripture we must first esteem them to be of great value in our heart. The key to not forgetting is to treasure God’s Word above all else.

Only obedience that flows from the heart is true obedience. Because the heart keeps them it means the heart loves them and considers them to be of great worth.

Attitude is what demonstrates the true expression of the heart. Do we delight in the inner man, the heart, to obey God’s word. Romans 7:22

Parents we need to remember this when disciplining our children. Often you will discipline more for attitude than actions because attitude is what reveals what is going on in the heart. To ignore attitude is to ignore the most important aspect of child rearing. Proverbs 20:30 Proverbs 22:15;

If we want our children to not forget our teaching and the teaching of God’s Word, we must aim at their hearts.

Proverbs 3:2 reminds us of the great blessings in genuine obedience. This is what everyone wants deep down in there hearts. This is the filter that information is passed through before it is allowed to dwell in our hearts and shape our wills, passions and desires. We either believe obedience to God’s word will bring these blessings or we believe what the world teaches. Which ever one we choose to believe will take up residence in our heart and shape our lives and keep out anything that would teach otherwise.

God says to each of us every time we read his word “and don’t you forget that.” May we treasure His Word in our hearts at all times, and may it shape us and conform us into the image of His Son Jesus Christ. IF we treasure it in our hearts, it will.

Proverbs 4:23; Mark 7:20-23; 1 John 2:15-17