Muscle Memory

Been a few weeks since I posted. Sometimes we get caught up in life and we don't take the time to sit down and compose our thoughts. I normally have no shortage of things swirling in my head to blog about but sometimes sitting down and composing them is more difficult. So back in the swing this week.

The NBA playoffs are upon us and before that March madness. I am enthralled by the emergence of the sharpshooters. I am particularly amazed by Stephen Curry who hits from way beyond the three point arc at a rate that is fascinating. From that distance there are so many things that can go wrong to cause the ball to not go through those net laces. Any slight variation from the trajectory would cause the ball to go off. This is what I believe is what people refer to as "muscle memory". It is a practice of precision gained from repetition. Stephen Curry practices these same shots with the same movement over and over again until it is almost automatic. He does not vary at all especially in the game when a man is upon him. In practice, he actually made 77 in a row. Now with the physical pressure of a game, maybe that drops to 40+%.

God wants the believer to be fueled by a kind of muscle memory. By that, the scriptures and the presence of the Holy Spirit are so ingrained so in our lives that to live by them is normal and to go against them is abnormal. Paul says to "let the word of Christ richly dwell within you" (Col 3:16). This takes intense practice. Yet so many of us just slough off the practice of knowing God that holy muscle memory doesn't have a chance. I find the disciplines of godly living require, well discipline. Many of my brothers and sisters in Christ have holy habits of study, memory, and prayer, but others treat these disciplines like they are going through a fast food window.

I play left field in baseball. From left field my accuracy is very good. I can throw a ball 150 feet with very good precision. Yet when I pitch it is almost comical how much I struggle to get the ball over the plate. I switch up arm angles and alligator arm the ball up there. The difference is 100% muscle memory. To the Christian, that type of mid-stream adjustment leads us to be like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. (James 1:6). What I have found fascinating is a complete lack of confidence fueled by lack of discipline when I stand on the mound. And unless I cultivate the habits of holy living, I will similarly alligator-arm and arm-slot my way through life. Muscle memory is essential to the man bent of Stephen Curry like precision.

Clothing and Identity

I was in Florida the past few days visiting my mother and stepfather. That meant spending time in airports as people are going or coming from spring break. People proudly wore hats or shirts with their favorite school or sports team on it. I proudly wore my Valpo gold shirt as the Valparaiso Crusaders made it to the NIT finals. I have a friend who I think has an entire wardrobe dedicated to Ohio State. A friend of mine said on Facebook "why do I feel so bad when my school loses and I haven't been there in 35 years".

We proudly identify ourselves with these schools or teams by wearing the apparel. It makes a statement to the rest of the world that we are proud to be associated with this or that school or team. This of course also has to do with the presumption that the team is a winner. Don't see a whole lot of Browns paraphernalia these days.

This picture is somewhat Paul had in mind when he says "For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ" (Gal. 3:27). The clothing is a symbol of our identification with Christ through salvation. I can wear the shirt of my favorite team and have a loose connection. That is a fan. But to be clothed here means I have to have a true union with Christ and that can only come from salvation and faith in what Christ did for me.

The context of the verse is also one of unity. When I proudly wear my Valpo shirt, I can immediately join in unity with those who are Valpo grads. My college buddies and I connected with Valpo's NIT run. How much more when Christians relate? It does not matter where they are from or what they do, there is a unity. I can go halfway around the world in places like Africa and have an instant connection with other believers in Christ.

Sadly how much more do I pronounce my loyalty to my team or my school and yet be ashamed to pronounce my identity in Christ. There is no greater identity I can have than who I am in Jesus. That goes beyond physical clothing to the very core of my being.