Why People Memorize

I've come to realize over the last several months that most people who memorize Scripture do so for slightly different reasons. Some people memorize because they want to "make their way prosperous and have good success", an opportunity God offered Joshua if he kept the Word of God constantly on his lips (Josh. 1:8). Others memorize because they want to effectively resist temptation as Jesus did during His time in the desert (Matt. 4:1-11), and some simply because they find memory work to be an enjoyable way of spending their free time. All of these reasons are perfectly valid, and I'm always excited to meet people who regularly take time out of their day to treasure up Scripture in their hearts, regardless of what their motivation might be.

Nonetheless, I do think knowing the reason why we memorize Scripture personally is an important part of staying motivated over the long haul. If we memorize primarily because our Sunday school teachers expect it, or because family or friends encourage us to, there's a good chance our dedication will fade as these influences do. If you tend to view Scripture memory as a hobby you engage because you're good at it, then you may be tempted to quit altogether when it's no longer fun or easy. Again, most people will unavoidably have a slightly different "why" behind their decision to memorize Scripture, just as we all have somewhat different methods of actually accomplishing this task. I think that's okay. God has made each of us beautifully unique (Ps. 139:14), and this uniqueness will inevitably shine through in almost every aspect of our lives - including Scripture memory. We should, however, be individually aware of what inspires us to obedience and then ask God to purify our motives if they are flawed. What motivates you to memorize Scripture? As we have seen, there is really no right or wrong answer to this question, but I believe it's an important one to ask ourselves anyway. Is your reason for memorizing today the same thing that caused you to begin memorizing in the first place? If your motivation has changed, has this change been for the better or for the worse? Regardless of what your answers to these questions are, I think it would be appropriate for us to consider how we might become more like Paul, who strove to do all things as if he were doing them for Christ Himself (Col. 3:23). After all, once your mind is firmly set on pleasing Christ you can count on the Holy Spirit to purify every other motive your heart may possess (Ezek. 36:25-27).