As you could tell from my story about skiing, I have never been a very athletic person. Eventually, I did learn to ski, but one sport I kept trying and failing to learn is tennis. I have absolutely no hand and eye coordination and very little stamina for chasing after the ball. I took tennis class in college and remember one whole session when the instructor had me just throw the ball over my head so I could get the feel of what is like to serve. Fortunately, this class was a pass/fail and the only thing required to pass was to show up for class or I would have been in trouble. Years later, I was an English tutor for a Ph.D. student from Korea. As a thank you for my help with his English, he offered to give me tennis lessons. He was such a good tennis player that he had been a part of the Korean Olympic Tennis Team. But even he could not teach me the game.
One thing I do remember, however, about tennis is the importance of follow through. Once you hit the ball, you must complete the rotation of your stroke for the ball to go in the right direction. Follow through is crucial for Christ followers as well. Throughout my life, at points of decision, God has reminded me of my "whatever" decision and asked me if I am going to follow through. I would like to say that at these moments, I have always chosen to follow through on my commitments. I would like to say it, but I can't. (Our sermon in church today was about being authentic, i.e., honest people). However, I think I can say that through the power of the Holy Spirit I have been a lot better at following through with God than I was in tennis.
One time, in particular, it seemed that God was testing me to see if I would stay the course. My senior year in college was full of uncertainties. What would I do when I graduated? Should I marry the guy I was head-over-heels in love with? What did God expect from me? During this confusing time, I attended a Christian retreat in the beautiful North Carolina countryside. This was an excellent opportunity to get alone with God in his creation and try to figure out some next steps for my life. I had taken my Bible with me, so I sat down and opened it to Hebrews 11. I guess I thought I could get some wisdom from the men and women in the “Faith Hall of Fame.” When I got down to verse 13, I felt like God saw speaking directly to me:
All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say, such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them. (Hebrews 11:13-16, NASB)
It was as if God were saying to me if you want to go back to your old way of life, making your own decisions, being your own boss, here is your chance. But I have so much more in store for you. I am preparing a place for you that will be so much better. And I will be so proud of you because you have stayed the course. This passage made such an impact on me that I have taken it as my "life verses." I want to spend my life seeking the city of God. At the end, I want to see God smile and say well done.
I love the title of Eugene Peterson's book, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction. I think this sums up my experience in following Christ. It has been more than 47 years since I made that “whatever” decision. Despite a few setbacks and several detours, I can say that when I have put my faith in God and not tried to figure everything out for myself or manipulate things to go my way, He has kept me going in the right direction (Proverbs 3:6-7). And I know He will do the same for you, “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” (Philippians 1:6, NLT).
Learning the Lesson
Meditate on the following passage and answer the questions:
For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for Him and how you have shown your love to Him by caring for other believers, as you still do. Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, to make certain that what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God's promises because of their faith and endurance (Hebrews 6:10-12, NLT)
- ➤Have you ever become spiritually dull and indifferent?
- ➤What should you remember about God to help you overcome this apathy?
- ➤What actions can you take to stay the course when you get discouraged?
No comments:
Post a Comment