We recently had a “Spring Cleaning” at our house. When we arrived home from work, relatively speaking, the house was impeccable. The next morning as I went through my normal routine, I went to throw away a Q-Tip, only to find that the bathroom trashcan was not in its normal spot. The trashcan, that had been located in the same spot for the last 5 ½ years, had been moved during the cleaning. It had been moved to a more logical location, but it was a location that I was not familiar with.
Two other times that day and even as late as a week later, I still found myself going to the “old spot” out of habit or routine. I had trained my body to go to that same spot without thinking. I was going through the motions without being consciously engaged throughout the process.
I was clearly demonstrating the phenomenon known as muscle memory. Muscle memory takes place when the same physical action is repeated so many times that your body can do it without your mind consciously controlling your actions. This is essential in sports, such as golf, baseball, skating, bicycling etc., where getting comfortable with and repeating actions the same way every time is critical for success.
This phenomenon translates to the spiritual realm as well. Before I became serious in my walk with God, I had ingrained into my being, a certain “muscle memory”. I lied without thinking; I cheated without giving it a second thought; I reacted in anger when I should have loved; I was disobedient to authority; I neglected the truth; I was intentionally hurtful to others; I worried about things that I had no control over; I put my ideas above God’s plans and commands. After years of repetition, my “spiritual muscle memory” was finely tuned to do the wrong thing.
When I decided to follow in the steps of Christ, it was like the “trash can” was moved. What I was used to doing, I could not continue to do anymore. I used to hate, I must now love. I used to worry, now I must exercise my faith muscle. I used to hoard my belongings, now I must give. I used to be foolish, now I must pursue wisdom and knowledge.
Every day, I must “retrain” my mind, body and spirit to forget those ways of the past and to press forward toward the new mark. It is a daily struggle, but it is my ultimate goal.
Philippians 3:12-14 (Amplified Bible) reads: “12-Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own. 13-I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14-I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward.
Romans 7:21-25 (Message Bible) reads: “21-23-It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God's commands, but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge. 24-I've tried everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question? 25-The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different."
If you truly desire a deeper relationship with God, you must “go into training”. Through His power, you can break the “habits” that took you a lifetime to build. You can stop going back to the “old ways” that are comfortable (for a moment) and walk in newness of life.
Take a look around your “house”…is it time for a “Spring Cleaning”?
Be Blessed,
B
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