“The primary freedom we have is always the choice of where we will place our minds. . . To that end memorization is vital. It is astonishing how little of the Bible is known “by heart” by people who profess to honor it. If we do not know it how can it help us? It cannot. Memorization, by contrast, enables us to keep it constantly before our minds.” Dallas Willard (www.dwillard.org/articles)

A number of years ago I was in a meeting where a Christian psychiatrist was asked to share about how to assist those who live with various mental issues. Although the content was very interesting, what he shared about himself personally was the most impacting on my life. He mentioned that he consistently memorized entire chapters of scripture for his own mental health – he had my attention. He talked about research on the brain and how what we decide to allow in over time creates what he referred to as roads. The more we allow certain content in, the wider this road becomes, at times becoming a multi-lane highway, allowing this information to flow freely.  It was his intent to create highways of scripture in his mind, and the only way for this to happen was for him to memorize scripture, entire chapters.

From my reading of history, it is my understanding that by the age of 8 years old, Jewish children had memorized the first 5 books of the bible. Some then went on to memorize the rest of what we refer to as the OT by the age of 13. As such, Jesus and his disciples would have had our entire OT memorized! And apparently, this still goes on today in some Jewish Synagogues.

For those that know me well, you just knew that the aspect of scripture memory was going to be written about. However, if there is one thing that I get the most push-back from in the discipleship process, it is the aspect of memorizing scripture: “I can’t memorize,” “it’s too difficult,” “I’ll just read it over many times and I’ll get the point.” No, no, and no.

Let’s reiterate once again, discipleship is not easy. Discipleship is not a side-hobby. To be a disciple is to make it your life. This is not something we play with when convenient, it is who we are.

And I can think of no better way for our standard learning textbook, the bible, to make a lasting impact on our lives than to memorize it, and then to recite it over and over, allowing the words and the phrases to seep into every aspect of who we are, to guide our prayers, to influence our relationships and to help us make life decisions.

As one who leads others on the road of discipleship, it is my role to set the pace. And may I encourage you that the discipline of memorization, once engaged in for a period of time, will become so meaningful, so life-changing, that you may not even use the word “discipline” to describe it anymore, it will become a craving.

Of all the guys that I have spent time with in a discipling relationship over the years, the one aspect that keeps coming up as the most beneficial is the aspect of scripture memorization. They start the journey simply doing it because I ask them to, and along the journey they thank me for sticking with it.

You will need to develop your own convictions on this. You will also need to develop your own ways of encouraging those that you lead to engage in it.

But be very confident, memorization should not be seen as an optional “nice to have” aspect of the disciple, it is foundational. You will develop highways of learning in your mind that will influence your actions, the question is, which ones?

What is the purpose of a discipling relationship? What are you trying to accomplish? What topics should be discussed? What should be the focus of the training and the conversation?

A mentor of mine would always say to me: “People have felt needs and they have unfelt needs. Acknowledge the felt needs, but make sure you focus on the unfelt needs.”

Far too often I see groups gathering together to focus on their felt needs. They want to discuss the latest book that’s covering a trendy topic or listen to the latest DVD from a favourite speaker who stirs up their passion and emotions. They want to discuss issues relating to marriage or parenting or finances. All of these things may be good at certain times and have their place. You may even incorporate some aspects of these in the discipling process. But I want to argue that this is not discipleship. This is not your purpose or focus if your desire to lead others in the path of discipleship.

John Ortberg, an author and speaker that I have appreciated, makes a comment with respect to some research that he was part of related to maturing Christians. He says that as a person matures in their faith in Jesus, they naturally gravitate to church programs less and less because they have figured out how to feed themselves spiritually. They don’t chase after trendy topics or the latest seminar, because they are being fed in the daily, weekly, monthly and yearly disciplines that they have developed for themselves and their spiritual health. As a result of these disciplines, they naturally know how to draw on the necessary resources to ensure strong relationships, to have financial integrity and to maintain a strong faith regardless of what life throws at them.

This is your role as a disciple-maker. You are helping others to develop life disciplines, habits and routines that will enable them to have the wherewithal to know what it takes to sustain themselves. They will know that they need regular biblical input, and they will do it. They will know that they need regular times of prayer, both by themselves and with others, and they will do it. They will know that they can’t do life alone, that they need others around them, and they will do it. They will know they have God-given gifts to serve the church and their community for the sake of the Kingdom of God, and they will do it. They will know that the Holy Spirit can and will speak to them in unique ways, and they will listen.

They won’t need prodding, coaxing or cajoling. They won’t need to be revved up every week at the service to gas them up for the next 7 days. They won’t need to find trendier and trendier topics and conversations to engage in.

They will be disciples. They will be followers of Jesus. You will become less important in their lives, Jesus will become more important. That is your focus, that is your purpose. Don’t let anyone allow you to get off track with the latest and the greatest. Make disciples. Period.