My husband, Dan, is an exercise junkie. He loves how he feels after a great (intense) workout. I have tried to share his enthusiasm and I admit I do feel better when I workout regularly, but I have trouble staying with it. I am really good for a few weeks or even a month and then something happens, and I don’t quite stick with it like I should. For me it is a choice, for Dan, it is a way of life.
Momentum.
As I was doing my Bible study and praying this week, I began thinking about momentum. I’m not sure why God called it to my attention, but I wrote the word at the top of my page and kept going.
I have been reading the Old Testament and I am currently moving from 2 Chronicles into the book of Ezra. I can’t help noticing the repetition. Each time the writer introduces the new king, we are given his name and whether he did good or evil in the Lord’s sight. At one point, I wanted to start keeping score and I even began cheering when someone pleased the Lord. It seemed like the victories were too short lived, however. A king would come in, rebuild the temple, tear down the high places (pagan shrines), repent for the evil everyone had committed and make sacrifices to the Lord. Then, just as things were moving in the right direction, he would die, his son would take over and return to the wickedness his father had worked so hard to combat.
Why does this happen?
I think it is human nature, we get so comfortable where we are, that we forget that we have to keep moving, we have to keep striving for more. It is easy to become complacent. The problem is that complacency doesn’t mean we are pausing and standing still, it actually means we are moving backwards. In the times we are satisfied with our surroundings or achievements, it is easy for pride to sneak in. Pride tells us we are good enough, that we don’t need anyone or anything. This is an opportunity for bad habits and sin to develop.
I began thinking about my life, are there times or places that I have become complacent, comfortable, or impatient?
Marriage.
Parenting.
Friendship.
Bible Study.
Joy.
Prayer.
Church attendance.
Momentum.
We have finally made it to the last week of school. Monday morning, the kids and I sat at the table eating breakfast and talking about all the fun activities of the week. It seemed like we had been sitting there an unusually long time when I realized the kitchen clock had stopped. We went from enjoying our breakfast to full out craze! We were running, grabbing school stuff and I was shouting, “let’s go! Let’s go!” I took a minute to wind the clock, reset the time and start the pendulum before running out the door. I didn’t want to get caught by that silly clock again.
After getting the kids to school, I came home to clean up the mess we had left behind. I realized that the clock was still not working. I was concerned because it is an antique, hence the winding, and it is costly to repair. I opened up the pendulum case and pushed it to get it started again. Apparently, in my haste to get everyone to school, I had not pushed the pendulum strongly enough. The momentum wasn’t there to keep it going and the clock stopped.
That is the way I am with good habits that I want to establish (like exercise). I get started, but don’t stay committed. I don’t give it enough of a push to get the momentum going and it dies out. It is the same with faith. It is not enough to do things a few times and then decide it is good enough. We must keep going, keep striving for more, keep learning and keep it fun! We need to stick with it even before we see the results. The pendulum always moves before the hands! We need to have faith that God is working and that the results will come in His time.
What situation needs your attention to get the momentum going?
Father God, thank you for teaching us through your Word and through life. Please speak to us and show us where we need momentum in our lives. Thank you for providing everything we need to live a life of victory. In Jesus name, Amen.
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