I recently listened to a short autobiography by James Taylor, and he said something that really stood out to me:

“Memory is tricky. We remember how we felt, not necessarily how it was.”

We find the word “remember” 166 times in the New International Version of the Bible. I think it’s in there so much because we have a tendency to forget. Or maybe, to build on what James Taylor said, we have a tendency to remember inaccurately.

In Ephesians 2, Paul makes sure that we remember how it was.

Remember that you were mocked by the religious (v. 11).

Remember that you were separated, excluded, foreigners, without hope, and without God (v. 12).

When we remember accurately how things were — even when those things are bad — we’re much less likely to forget the great things God has done for us. And so, Paul continues to remind us to remember how it is now.

Remember that we’ve been brought near by Jesus (v. 13).

Remember that we have peace because hostility has been destroyed (v. 14).

Remember that we have a family and a Father (v. 16).

Remember that we are home (v. 19).