Not Just for Kicks

If you are of a certain age, chances are, at one time or another, you had a child in karate. Karate, as it was pitched to me, was great for teaching your child self-discipline and character; it was a good way to get into shape (which is the way Sensei tried to lure me into a membership). Karate didn't require lots of costly equipment; there were no "Away" games or travel teams, fundraisers or sign-up sheets to work the snack bar. For the most part, Mom could sit in the car with a good book or chit-chat in the vestibule while the kiddies did their thing. I signed on the dotted line for both of my children. What I witnessed was week after week of Horseback Stance and Straight Punch. The only way this can be misconstrued as self-defense is if an attacker is unconscious, I thought. What I learned, however, is the value of muscle memory. The basis of martial arts is that there are a few key moves to be learned --ad nauseum --and everything else is built on that. Practice and redundancy are not just for kicks. See what I did there?

The disciplines we practice in our Christian journey can offer the same benefits. In Scripture, we read of God's faithfulness and the success of those who trusted in Him that we might awaken our brain to a desire to obey. We read of God's presence in our lives to the point it becomes an irrefutable truth, so that when trouble assails us, we know for certain we are not alone. We listen to the stories of victory from others in our fellowship groups so that we have a cache of responses and a "contact list" to which we can turn should we experience a similar situation. We pray often, keeping the lines of communication open, keeping obstructions (sin) to a minimum, and learning more and more about the ways in which we dialogue with our Savior. We memorize God's Word so that the promises of God and the affirmation of His character are as familiar to us as our address. We attend regular fellowship so that our faith is tested --What?! Yes, it is in fellowship with others our faith is put to the fire. I'm a wonderful Christian sitting in my office with the Scriptures open before me, the praise music playing softly in the background and the smell of my favorite candle burning. But put me in the fray with those same people each week, their same stories each week, their same idiosyncrasies (of which I have none, I'm certain 😉) each week, and my spiritual muscles get stre-e-e-etched. Today's repetition becomes tomorrow's response; and the stretching that comes, will be tomorrow's baseline. We keep at it so our spiritual muscles remain limber enough for the challenges looming on the horizon. That's muscle memory; doing the same things regularly, repeatedly SO THAT when trouble comes, you don't have to "muster up" faith or have a crisis of faith.

In Romans 12:1, 2, God, through The Apostle Paul urges, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. In other words, submit to God and His will --it's the minimum requirement --and allow Him to change the way you think and remember, SO THAT when trouble or trials appear, you will know and perform according to the will of God. Preparation now --even when we weary of it --will lead to strength and victory later. Hi-Yah!