Importance of Fundamentals

Yesterday was a different kind of day- normally my middle school soccer team (which I am very proud of) has games Tuesdays and Thursdays, but this past Thursday we had a team cancel on us, and we just had practice.  Seeing as how we don't play until next Tuesday, there wasn't anything pressing to work on, and I decided it would simply be a day where we hit fundamentals very hard.

For an hour and a half I ran my players through things they learned (or should have learned) when they were 6 years old.  Over and over again they practiced striking the ball with accuracy, receiving a ball and controlling it, etc.  I'm sure it was boring.  I'm sure it wasn't thrilling to these guys. 

I believe this is a life lesson that applies to everything:  when the fundamentals are good, everything is good.  You can apply this lesson anywhere, anytime.  Why is our government in so much debt?  The fundamental law- spend less than you make- wasn't followed.  Why are our schools being outperformed by dozens of other countries?  We've neglected fundamentals of reading, writing, and arithmetic.  Why are our churches so anemic?  We don't know the first thing about the Bible.  We don't know who Jesus is.  We don't know anything about grace.

The fundamentals.  The building blocks of life.  The best soccer teams I've ever been on were ones that did the ordinary things- dribbling, passing, defense- extraordinarily well.  The best churches I've been in are ones that do the ordinary things- prayer, study, love, grace- extraordinarily well.  The most effective Christians I know are ones that have strong fundamental beliefs that lead and guide in every aspect of their lives. 

Perhaps it is time to refocus on the fundamentals.  Are they exciting?  No.  Are they thrilling?  Nope.  Do they make headlines?  Not often.  Are they essential?  Absolutely. 

One of my players actually complained yesterday.  He said, "You should make this exciting."  I stopped practice, called my team around me, and said this, "Let me tell you what "exciting" is.  "Exciting" is when the other team knows this stuff and you don't.  "Exciting" is when the other team can shoot with accuracy and you can't.  "Exciting" is when the other team knows how to play defense and you don't.  Exciting?  You guys don't need "exciting."  You guys need to learn how to play the game."

Maybe Christians are the same way.  Maybe we need to learn how to play the game instead of wanting everything to be "exciting."  Maybe we need to sit in silence for awhile, basking in the presence of God.  Exciting?  Maybe not.  Maybe we need to begin a serious study of God's Word, not just a verse here and there.  Exciting?  Maybe, maybe not.  Maybe a little less emphasis on excitement and a little more emphasis on fundamentals is exactly what our anemic, comfortable, non-controversial churches need these days.  Maybe it's simply what I need.