Inspirational
Sanctification: One Pin At A Time
Just recently, my dad got me into a bowling team.
I used to play bowling in high school. The highest score I ever got was 220 out of 300. I averaged about 150-160. But that was high school, a lifetime ago.
Last week was a different story. We bowled, and I scored 79.
That means a lot of my balls went to the gutter, and many never hit the front pin. My team would still cheer and encourage and clap, but I knew. Deep inside, I was disappointed, frustrated, and pissed. I used to be so good! Well, not really; but I used to do okay. Now, I sucked! I took my high school scores for granted, and I knew it.
To make matters worse, I felt that I let myself down, I let my team down, and I let my dad down.
So I practiced.
I enrolled to Youtube university and watched a dozen bowling videos and tutorials. I also came early before the next game to practice, and practice was difficult.
I had to unlearn so many bad habits. My hook was wrong, my release was wrong, my swing was wrong, everything was wrong! Unlearning was a pain. I had to be conscious. I had to be intentional. I was in my own head the entire time. My arm got tired, my muscles felt exhausted, but I had to unlearn the bad habits if I desired to improve.
THEN, GAME TIME!
I was doing the right things, but the balls still didn’t connect with the front pin!
My previous score was 79.
Tonight, I scored 80 points!
That’s 1 point better.
That’s ONE PIN BETTER.
I still felt that I let myself down, I let my team down, and I let my dad down.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?
My dad was consistent. Last game and this game, not once did I see a frown on his face. He was just happy that I was on the team, gave me tips here and there, and kept on encouraging and clapping and cheering.
80. One pin was all the improvement I made after all those Youtube videos and practice. But was it worth it? Yes.
AND THAT’S SANCTIFICATION, my dear friends.
Sanctification is unlearning bad habits and sinful thought patterns and sinful feeling patterns. Unlearning is painful.
But it has to be intentional. We have to enroll ourselves to God’s university through the Scriptures and learn from Him. Then, we have to practice. Day in and day out. We must take time out of our schedules to intentionally go to the Word of God, and consciously do what we must to improve.
And we will still mess up. When we do, we will feel frustrated and disappointed. We will feel that we let ourselves down, our team (church) down, and our (Heavenly) Father down.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?
Our Heavenly Father will also be consistent. He is joyful that we are part of His Church, He will give us tips (wisdom and grace) here and there, and will keep encouraging and comforting (Holy Spirit) us through and through. And the team (local church) will also be there to keep encouraging, clapping, and forgiving us for not making 300 points.
And sometimes, after all the practice and training and unlearning, all we’ll get is 80 points from 79. A ONE-PIN DIFFERENCE. And that’s fine.
Philippians 1: 6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
