“The thing that you do crowds out the thing you might have done.”
That was a line I heard in a message at a youth camp for multiple churches. It was said in a message about Enoch walking with God, and connected to the use of digital technology and social media. I was deeply convicted. The Bible teacher went on to talk about how if we all just memorized two verses of Philippians a week, by camp the next summer we would have that whole letter memorized.
As I sat there at camp, I had a conversation with myself that went something like this: “Steve, you have been wasting too much time on your phone, and it’s ridiculous. Ridiculous! It’s got to stop now! Imagine how much Scripture you could have memorized by now if you would have been more disciplined. Get it together, Burchett!”
I did memorize Philippians. Since then, my memorization has been streaky. I’m back to saying to myself, “You have been wasting too much time on your phone, and it’s ridiculous!” As I’ve been memorizing recently, I’ve found myself saying, “Why don’t I always do this?”
After I memorized Philippians, I wrote out ten practical ideas for becoming a more consistent memorizer of larger sections of Scripture. These strategies are offered below. I’ve needed to read through them again recently. Perhaps they’ll be a benefit to you.
First, start with a “smaller” larger section. I’m so glad I was challenged to memorize all of Philippians first, and not Romans, or Mark. I experienced success much earlier than I would have in one of those longer books.
Second, just memorize the words, not the chapters and verses. Originally, there were no chapters and verses, anyhow. And if you are attempting to memorize large chunks of Scripture, it gets very clunky to keep saying the numbers and might even hinder flow of thought.
Third, seek to memorize word-perfectly. It’s amazing to me how I’ll sometimes add a word somewhere (especially from another translation I used to read), or I’ll go completely blank about a word or phrase. So why make this effort to get it exactly right? In a way, it honors the whole text. Also, higher expectations cause us to work even harder and potentially will help us to keep it memorized longer.
Fourth, use the same paper Bible to memorize the whole book (or section). A paper Bible is critical because our minds map words and paragraphs in a print Bible in a way that is nearly impossible on a device. I typically print off the pages of my Bible, tape them up with clear packing tape (to make them sturdy), and carry them around for when I don’t have my Bible.
Fifth, utilize marking in order to aid your memory. Mark repeated words their own unique way (underline, or circle, shade one color, etc.). Mark sections. Draw pictures, even! This kind of “physical” meditation can only aid memorization.
Sixth, pick a specific approach for memorization. Some people like to just read a paragraph (or the whole section or book) over and over for a number of weeks (or months) until they have it memorized. Personally, that doesn’t work well for me. My strategy is to memorize two verses a day, five days a week. That way, I have a “make up” day, plus Sunday (which is full of lots of other Bible intake). I have historically had the habit of looking on my phone during breakfast, but that’s a better time for me to memorize. I then try to look at the verses again at some time in the evening, even just before going to sleep. I often say all of the verses I have already memorized at least once each of the five days, although as I go along I find that I don’t have to do that as often with the first couple of chapters.
Seventh, redeem “inactive times” by rehearsing your text in your mind. In your daily efforts of memorizing, it’s better to say the verses out loud. However, sometimes you cannot do that, such as standing in line at the store, or waiting for someone in a lobby. But something you can do, instead of reaching for your phone, is rehearse your verses in your mind.
Eighth, consider having an accountability partner. There are times when I can go weeks saying something incorrectly and not even know it! Having a partner hearing you say the text out loud once a week (or every couple of weeks) will solve this problem.
Ninth, consistently ask the Lord to give you opportunities to utilize what you are memorizing. We need the Scriptures personally, and also to serve others (counseling, evangelism, etc.). We’re not memorizing in order to impress anybody.
Tenth, don’t give up. What if you get behind on your goal? First, through Christ, God loves you no matter how much you memorize. And second, keep trying. It really does not matter if it takes you longer than you originally intend. Keep going. It will be worth it. Here’s just one reason why: “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11).