Broken In

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV) ¹⁶  All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷  so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

I started wearing a new pair of shoes this week. Actually, I bought them a couple of years ago because of a great sale price. But I haven’t needed them until now. They are identical to a pair of shoes I bought seven years ago in preparation for the travels Joanne and I were going to do as part of my sabbatical. I came to love those shoes. For seven years they have been the most comfortable footwear I own, and they have lasted all this time. A good pair of shoes is like a good friend. The fit is great and they’re always there for you. But with shoes, sooner or later they wear out. I’ve known people who would get certain sneakers/athletic shoes in their life re-soled so that they could keep and use them longer. That’s how much they loved them. Instead of buying new ones, they could or would not part with the old ones. Do you have any shabby looking sneakers or shoes somewhere in a closet that you have been unwilling to part with – because you’re so used to them and they’re just too comfortable to give or throw away?

My new shoes, as I said, are identical (size, model, etc.) to the old ones. But guess what? They’re not very comfortable. At least, not yet. They feel stiff, tight, and inflexible on my feet. I want them to “feel one” with my feet. But they are not there yet. They need to be broken in. They need to be worn regularly and steadily – through the stiffness until the leather stretches and loosens up and becomes more conforming with my foot. In the past I have foolishly hiked with boots that were not broken in. My feet paid the price. When I played baseball in college I couldn’t just buy a new glove and start using it immediately and have it work well and feel comfortable. It had to be broken in.

This all makes for a great illustration of how Christian discipleship works in our lives. Christ is formed in us through a number of disciplines that can be learned and practiced by a Christian. Guess what? Many of those practices (the “disciplines”) feel like a pair of new shoes. We are not “used to them” at first. They feel stiff and even uncomfortable. But, like shoes, if we hang in there - if we break them in – we become comfortable with practices that Jesus’ close followers do. They become a very natural part of our lives. They become things that we incorporate into our experience. What are some examples of things in life that we did not do, then learned to do, then just became “normal”?... brushing teeth, taking showers, getting dressed, driving a car safely, using a computer, playing an instrument, reading… the list is huge. The point is that without the determination to work through unfamiliarity, unwillingness, and even discomfort, we would never have experienced the benefits and joys of those things. The spiritual disciplines – the things we can do to strengthen our walk with God – are no different. For an apprentice everything is new at one point. For the practices of our walk with God to become “common” or “comfortable”, we need the same determination, openness, and willingness to do what a learner (an apprentice, a newcomer, a disciple) must do to become like Jesus.

Your deacons have begun a small group study designed to engage in a process of spiritual formation that includes specific activities aimed at emulating Jesus Himself. A discipleship study like this involves learning and trying new things… in some cases things they have not done before or paid as much attention to before. The goal is to grow in the knowledge of God and in the experience of His goodness and in their closeness to Him. After they have done these studies, their goal is to “pass it on” to others in the church and invite others into the same apprenticeship process. So pray for them… that anything that feels like “new shoes” won’t discourage them… that they will persevere through the “breaking in” period and find the joys of this deeper walk. And pray that when opportunities come your way for something new in the Lord or for the Lord,… or some aspect of discipleship you have never tried, comes your way,… that your heart, mind and spirit will be open and ready, and seeking for what God wants to do in you. And, like a person with a comfortable pair of shoes, you will be happy you did.

1 Timothy 4:8 (NIV)  For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

1 Corinthians 9:24-25 (NIV) ²⁴  Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. ²⁵  Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

Hebrews 12:11 (NIV)  No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

PRAYER:  Lord, may your blessing be on our deacons as they pursue a deeper walk with you. Grow their faith and love. Fan into flame their passion for your will and purposes in their lives. And may that extend onward into the lives of all who fellowship in our church. Thank you. In the name of Jesus, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!    

Scott