We memorize to fill our travel bag; we memorize, because it preserves the past; and we memorize, because it lets us walk a mile in someone else’s words. But ultimately, we memorize, because it changes us. And that is why it matters not just that we do it, but also what we commit to memory.
Psalm 119 says that the way to live a pure life is by storing up the words and commandments of God in our heart:
9 How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
10 With my whole heart I seek you;
let me not wander from your commandments!
11 I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
You may have noticed that we don’t do recitations of Ariana Grande lyrics. We generally don’t meditate on Joseph Stalin’s speeches or the words of Caligula. We commit to memory the American Declaration of Independence, but not the French Declaration of the Rights of Man.
To be sure, it is important that we know about these things—well, maybe not Ariana Grande lyrics. But just remember that what you store up in your heart doesn’t just fill it; it is also forms it, and along with it, you.
Have a wonderful day.
