What a shot! It was the end of the first half. Time was running out but we had the ball at our end of the court. Kyrsten doesn’t usually spend much time that far out from the basket but there she was just outside the three-point line when the ball came to her with about 4 seconds left on the clock. Almost effortlessly she let it go. It was her very first three-pointer ever and it was nothin’ but net!It’s been a long journey from when she was little and just learning the basics. How to dribble, how to pass, how to shoot, how to play defense. She’s a freshman in High School now and does much of it without thinking. But that’s the goal. To practice a skill often enough that it becomes second nature. To have your muscles so trained that they respond naturally as if they were created just for that particular movement.It’s that way for all of us in a variety of ways. Take walking for example. When we were just starting out it took all the mental effort we could muster to put one foot ahead of the other. Little by little it became easier until one day we could do it without even thinking.For those of us who are following Jesus and learning the unforced rhythms of God’s grace it is a similar process. To practice thinking and acting like Jesus often enough that it becomes second nature. To automatically respond like Jesus without even having to think about it.A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher. ~ Luke 6:40Don’t get me wrong. There will always be those situations in life that require prayerful consideration before we respond. But interacting with others in the way that Jesus would is something that should increasingly become second nature to us. It should flow effortlessly because of the transformation that the Spirit of God is accomplishing in us.Are we becoming more like Jesus every day? Is it obvious in how we are interacting with others?
Excellent article! I had/have a soccer player (who's now a head coach) and it brought back memories of all those hours of practice. It's something I constantly encourage my mentorees to do- "practice" your faith! The more you share, the more you try, the more you trust, the more God can work through you and the more you become like Jesus.
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