10,000 hours

In Malcolm Gladwell’s best selling book, Outliers, he uncovers through anecdotal and empirical evidence that repeated performance overtime is the key to mastering a craft and thus predicting future success. Gladwell finds that those most often viewed as “geniuses” in a specific field are those that have spent more than 10,000 hours honing their skill. Whether performing mathematics, composing a concerto or designing tomorrow’s computer technology, time logged doing the same activity well overtime proved the critical differentiator between the good and the great.

Stay with me…too often I think followers of Christ suppose that the Christian life should be intuitive and come like salvation, as a free gift. I guess that makes some sense. After all, we receive the  ”gift of the Spirit” when we become Christ followers, don’t we? Since we have the Spirit, it follows that the Spirit will guide our lives, that we’ll walk in holiness simply because we’ve got the Spirit. I wish that were true. But it isn’t. I wish Christian marriage were easy. But it is not. I wish being a Godly dad came naturally, but it doesn’t.  I wish I didn’t struggle with anger. But, I do.

Jesus tells us plainly that “each day has enough trouble of its own.”  Each day.  To deal with the trouble of the day, Peter reminds us to “put away” malice, “purify” your souls and to “supplement our faith” with thing like steadfastness and godliness.  Paul commands us to do things like “submit” “forgive” “admonish” “receive” and “put on love.” Each requires action from us. Not to save us but to sanctify, or purify, us. Will it take God’s grace? Yes. Will it take us engaging activity in your sanctification? Yes. The Christian life doesn’t just happen. Remember, just like that pianist who makes your jaw drop didn’t crawl out of their Pampers and stumble into playing Beethoven, people don’t have thriving marriages and relationships on accident. It takes sacrifice, dedication, time and a whole lot of work. God wants the best for you but He doesn’t give it to you passively. “Put on” the things of God and toil with us toward holiness….