*On this topic, I typically get nothing but yawns. I sometimes feel like a flagman on a road waving his arms and shouting, "The bridge is out!!" while cars pass by me at seventy miles an hour. The plain and simple fact is that most people just don't want to think about anything negative, much less prepare for it. I am anticipating that this blog gets very little traffic.*
I've been playing soccer for 36 years.
Something occurred to me yesterday at practice (I coach a local middle school girls' team, so I have 12-14 year-olds on my team). I was demonstrating dribbling and shooting techniques for them, and many of them weren't getting it. I mean, they weren't even close. Form was off, technique was off- they just couldn't do it.
I thought to myself, "How can you all not be getting this? It's so simple!" I watched, coached and corrected, and watched some more. Finally, most of them got it; some still didn't.
Then I realized why I thought it was simple- I had been doing these moves and techniques for 36 years. They, however, were learning it for the first time. I had done these dribbling moves millions of times in practice, hundreds of thousands of times in games under tight competition. I didn't even have to think. It just happened.
This is known as "muscle memory." Repeated practice lays down a coordinated groove in both your mind and your body, so that the action becomes automatic. You do it without thinking, without effort- almost subconsciously.
These girls, on the other hand, were not there. They hadn't practiced it enough. We all know what happens in the game- they won't do it. They might WANT to, but when the true test comes, they won't be able to come through. They simply haven't practiced enough. They don't have the muscle memory yet. It's not their fault- it's just the truth. They need to go through the same motion hundreds and thousands (and hundreds of thousands) of times before it becomes automatic.
The same is true in our Christian lives. It's no great secret that it's open season on Christians in the world today. Christians are getting slaughtered in the Middle East, both by fringe groups and legitimate governments. Christians on university campuses in America are bullied and mocked openly. Christian businesses are facing Nazi-like public shaming by the homofascist movement, akin to the tactics used against Jewish businesses in 1930s Germany. In the years to come, it will get even worse.
What is your muscle memory when it comes to persecution?
Have you practiced?
I think it is time for Christians to decide- NOW- what you will do when you face persecution. I am calling all Christians to take time and decide right now what you will do in each of the following scenarios:
1) You are in a college dorm getting ready for class. Two men with AK-47s bust in and ask, "Muslim or Christian?" If you answer "Christian," they will shoot you. What do you do?
2) You are a Christian business owner. A reporter shows up and asks if your business will provide a product in support of a gay wedding. If you say, "No," you will be subject to boycotts, smearing on social media, death threats, most likely the loss of your business, and possibly lawsuits endangering your life's work, personal savings, and job security. What do you do?
3) You attend a church where your pastor will not perform same-sex weddings. You arrive on Sunday morning to see your church vandalized- graffiti on the walls, windows broken, church bus tires slashed, etc. You fix it one week and it happens the next. Social media calls everyone who attends that church a bigot, homophobe, intolerant. The pastor and his family receive death threats and his children are harassed at school. What do you do?
4) You are up for a job promotion, something you've been working for for years. Right before you get the promotion, one of your co-workers discovers you made a donation in support of a traditional marriage amendment to your state constitution. When your boss finds out about it, he asks you about your views on marriage. You know that if you say, "I believe marriage is between a man and a woman only," you will not get the promotion. You might even be fired. What do you do?
Each of these four scenarios, unfortunately, are not made up. Scenario one happened at Garissa College in Kenya three weeks ago. Scenario two happened at Memories Pizzeria in Indiana three weeks ago. Scenario three happened about five months ago in Washington State. Scenario four happened at Mozilla to CEO Brenden Eich.
It is time to decide NOW what you would do in that situation. Practice it. Know your reasons. Prepare yourself. This is SO very important. When the day of trial comes, you don't want to have to decide. If you want to honor Christ, if you truly want to stay true to your beliefs, you will need your automatic muscle memory to take over. The temptation to back down will be too strong for most of us. We will fail at the time of reckoning if we don't have the muscle memory in place.
So, decide now.
We practice for all kinds of things. We practice for sports. We practice marksmanship on the gun range. We practice art, music, woodworking, and scrapbooking. We practice all the time for the things we believe are important. How about your faith? Will you practice for the day of reckoning when you will be called upon to stand and be counted?
I have told both my congregation and my family that I will do jail time. I know I will. Not because I am a criminal or because I hate anyone, but because I will never perform a same-sex wedding nor will I ever say that it is compatible with God's word. The most likely scenario that I have prepared myself in advance for is that I will be threatened, and I won't respond. Then I will be sued, and I will probably lose the lawsuit. Then I will be fined, and I won't pay the fine. That will lead to my imprisonment. That's okay. I am in prison every Tuesday morning anyway teaching my fatherhood skills class. I'll just teach it everyday, I guess. If God sees fit to put me in that mission field full-time, so be it. I would be in good company. That has happened to Christians for the past 2000 years. It even happened to the guy who wrote half of the New Testament. His name? The Apostle Paul.
I've already decided. I've already made up my mind that that is the path I am going to take. That is the path I believe is most honoring to God. I remind myself every day about it. Therefore, like on the soccer field, when the time comes, I will already know what I am doing. Muscle memory will take over, and temptation will not take me. At least I hope it won't. One can only prepare so much.
One thing is for sure, though- persecution is coming. It's already here. You must prepare. You must practice. You must know what you will do before it happens. This is what the wise person who wants to live out his or her faith does. Be prepared and practice. What will be most honoring to God in your day of trial? Decide now, not when you are staring down the barrel of a gun or a lawsuit.
I've been playing soccer for 36 years.
Something occurred to me yesterday at practice (I coach a local middle school girls' team, so I have 12-14 year-olds on my team). I was demonstrating dribbling and shooting techniques for them, and many of them weren't getting it. I mean, they weren't even close. Form was off, technique was off- they just couldn't do it.
I thought to myself, "How can you all not be getting this? It's so simple!" I watched, coached and corrected, and watched some more. Finally, most of them got it; some still didn't.
Then I realized why I thought it was simple- I had been doing these moves and techniques for 36 years. They, however, were learning it for the first time. I had done these dribbling moves millions of times in practice, hundreds of thousands of times in games under tight competition. I didn't even have to think. It just happened.
This is known as "muscle memory." Repeated practice lays down a coordinated groove in both your mind and your body, so that the action becomes automatic. You do it without thinking, without effort- almost subconsciously.
These girls, on the other hand, were not there. They hadn't practiced it enough. We all know what happens in the game- they won't do it. They might WANT to, but when the true test comes, they won't be able to come through. They simply haven't practiced enough. They don't have the muscle memory yet. It's not their fault- it's just the truth. They need to go through the same motion hundreds and thousands (and hundreds of thousands) of times before it becomes automatic.
The same is true in our Christian lives. It's no great secret that it's open season on Christians in the world today. Christians are getting slaughtered in the Middle East, both by fringe groups and legitimate governments. Christians on university campuses in America are bullied and mocked openly. Christian businesses are facing Nazi-like public shaming by the homofascist movement, akin to the tactics used against Jewish businesses in 1930s Germany. In the years to come, it will get even worse.
What is your muscle memory when it comes to persecution?
Have you practiced?
I think it is time for Christians to decide- NOW- what you will do when you face persecution. I am calling all Christians to take time and decide right now what you will do in each of the following scenarios:
1) You are in a college dorm getting ready for class. Two men with AK-47s bust in and ask, "Muslim or Christian?" If you answer "Christian," they will shoot you. What do you do?
2) You are a Christian business owner. A reporter shows up and asks if your business will provide a product in support of a gay wedding. If you say, "No," you will be subject to boycotts, smearing on social media, death threats, most likely the loss of your business, and possibly lawsuits endangering your life's work, personal savings, and job security. What do you do?
3) You attend a church where your pastor will not perform same-sex weddings. You arrive on Sunday morning to see your church vandalized- graffiti on the walls, windows broken, church bus tires slashed, etc. You fix it one week and it happens the next. Social media calls everyone who attends that church a bigot, homophobe, intolerant. The pastor and his family receive death threats and his children are harassed at school. What do you do?
4) You are up for a job promotion, something you've been working for for years. Right before you get the promotion, one of your co-workers discovers you made a donation in support of a traditional marriage amendment to your state constitution. When your boss finds out about it, he asks you about your views on marriage. You know that if you say, "I believe marriage is between a man and a woman only," you will not get the promotion. You might even be fired. What do you do?
Each of these four scenarios, unfortunately, are not made up. Scenario one happened at Garissa College in Kenya three weeks ago. Scenario two happened at Memories Pizzeria in Indiana three weeks ago. Scenario three happened about five months ago in Washington State. Scenario four happened at Mozilla to CEO Brenden Eich.
It is time to decide NOW what you would do in that situation. Practice it. Know your reasons. Prepare yourself. This is SO very important. When the day of trial comes, you don't want to have to decide. If you want to honor Christ, if you truly want to stay true to your beliefs, you will need your automatic muscle memory to take over. The temptation to back down will be too strong for most of us. We will fail at the time of reckoning if we don't have the muscle memory in place.
So, decide now.
We practice for all kinds of things. We practice for sports. We practice marksmanship on the gun range. We practice art, music, woodworking, and scrapbooking. We practice all the time for the things we believe are important. How about your faith? Will you practice for the day of reckoning when you will be called upon to stand and be counted?
I have told both my congregation and my family that I will do jail time. I know I will. Not because I am a criminal or because I hate anyone, but because I will never perform a same-sex wedding nor will I ever say that it is compatible with God's word. The most likely scenario that I have prepared myself in advance for is that I will be threatened, and I won't respond. Then I will be sued, and I will probably lose the lawsuit. Then I will be fined, and I won't pay the fine. That will lead to my imprisonment. That's okay. I am in prison every Tuesday morning anyway teaching my fatherhood skills class. I'll just teach it everyday, I guess. If God sees fit to put me in that mission field full-time, so be it. I would be in good company. That has happened to Christians for the past 2000 years. It even happened to the guy who wrote half of the New Testament. His name? The Apostle Paul.
I've already decided. I've already made up my mind that that is the path I am going to take. That is the path I believe is most honoring to God. I remind myself every day about it. Therefore, like on the soccer field, when the time comes, I will already know what I am doing. Muscle memory will take over, and temptation will not take me. At least I hope it won't. One can only prepare so much.
One thing is for sure, though- persecution is coming. It's already here. You must prepare. You must practice. You must know what you will do before it happens. This is what the wise person who wants to live out his or her faith does. Be prepared and practice. What will be most honoring to God in your day of trial? Decide now, not when you are staring down the barrel of a gun or a lawsuit.
awesome post. Lot's to think about and practice! Thank you for sharing David.
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