Muscle Memory
I want to write a little bit regarding muscle memory. You know when you do something over and over so many times that you can do it without much conscious effort. For example, driving your ball playing golf.
Now, I haven’t played a round of golf in over 20 years. But I remember the first time I played. I was invited to a “shot gun best ball tournament,” where all the teams start at the same time on different holes, and where all four players drive and you play the best ball position of the group. It was a charity event. I don’t remember if I borrowed a set of clubs or rented a set but I had an absolute blast playing that day. Being outside in the fresh air with friends (and not worrying about a poorly played ball), was great.
When we got done, I decided I wanted to take up this hobby and I joined my work’s golf league. That is when I realized that when you have no idea what you are doing, it’s much easier than when you do. Let us call this naive joy. My drives were much better (straighter, longer) when I didn’t know what I was doing compared to when I knew things about stance and swing, etc. That is how the golf hobby gets you. ou find joy in that naive play and want to repeat and improve it but when you try, you realize how much work you have in learning the game.
So, I bought clubs and joined a golf league. I was playing weekly with my coworkers and most of them were far better (and had been playing for decades) than I was. At first, they were patient and gave me tips. Unfortunately, the more I played, the worse I became. I developed a consistent shank on my drive (the ball travels lower and to the right when hit by the club). It was so pronounced that I struggled to decide whether to work to correct it or turn to the left when I hit the ball so that it would end up on the fairway. After we moved here and not finding the same golf enthusiasm that my prior coworkers had (and getting to be almost 10 years older), I lost interest in the hobby.
But back to the drive. When I was trying to fix my shank, I’d go to the golf range and spent a couple hours teeing off balls while focusing on my stance, my backswing, my head position, my golf grip and probably a lot of other factors I’ve forgotten to try to learn that muscle memory for consistency. While you are working on trying to improve your play and develop that muscle memory is time to “suck it up buttercup” as a friend of mine says. In other words, you are focusing on the desired end result to justify the effort you have to expend to get there.
While I would love to believe that I can do anything if I just work hard enough at it, that isn’t the case. Each of us has abilities and gifts that God has given us. For me, no matter how hard I worked at that golf drive, I kept reverting to shanking the ball. As I mentioned, for a while I tried playing to that shank but that wasn’t pleasurable anymore so I got to a point where I either had to commit to working harder (and paying for professional lessons) or I had to find a different hobby. I choose the latter.
“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.” - 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 27-31 ESV
In your faith walk, remember that naive joy is replaced with the hard work of building the muscle memory of your faith. That muscle memory involves study of God’s word and communion with other believers (church service, music, Bible studies, etc.) The ultimate goal is to make disciples.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” - Matthew 28:19-20
