All of our computing devices—laptops, phones, tablets, tv’s, cars, even sometimes our refrigerators and microwaves—have two types of memory.
The first kind of memory is ROM: Read-Only Memory. This is what most people usually mean when they talk about memory on a device. It’s the more static storage that holds all of our files like text documents, spreadsheets, photos, videos, operating systems, apps, etc. This kind of memory is usually rather large. The amount of used / free memory here depends on how many files the user is storing. So, if you need more room, you simply need to delete some files.
The second is RAM: Random Access Memory. This memory is responsible for handling whatever it is you’re working with at the moment—open apps or programs, specific files, and whatever other processes must run in the background to keep the operating system going. This kind of memory is usually dramatically smaller than ROM. We can usually get away with a smaller amount because the amount of memory being used is constantly shifting. Fewer programs or files open means less memory being used. Which means that much of the time if your device seems to be slowing down, it may be because your RAM is running out of room. Closing some apps or processes will speed up the things you really need to be working with.
To put it more succinctly: ROM is static memory, RAM is active memory.
When Jesus says “you have no room for my word” (John 8:37), what he is talking about in context is our life’s RAM memory—our active memory, the memory we are using in the moment. He doesn’t mean our brain’s capacity to hear or retain his word; he’s not talking about our static ROM that simply holds information, learns facts, or memorizes Bible verses. The room he says is limited is the room for action—the capacity of our lives to actively engage with his word.
Much of the time we’re simply too busy with too many activities.
Making room for Jesus’ word means taking a good close look at all that we are doing (and saying and thinking), and eliminating activities that are just slowing us down, and choose to actively engage in more of what the Father is doing (and thinking and saying). If our spiritual journey feels stuck and lifeless, like it’s stuttering and slowing down, perhaps what we need is not more information about spiritual things, but rather to more carefully curate all that we have open and active in our lives.
