Repetition, monotony, routine. Life is full of them. Our days subsist of 24 hours and we repeat those days over and over. The days make months, the months years and the years decades. The more days, months, and years you rack up, the different they feel. The same goes with life experiences, the more something lasts, the different it feels. At first that new job is fresh, exhilarating, and exciting, but after enough days and years, the monotony of routine can set in. Those first days of college are so new and exciting, but think about that senior year stretch, where all you wanted to do was get out of there. As you walk down that aisle and look into your lover’s tear filled eyes, you know it’s forever. But as the years and decades move along, you realize that the danger of repetition can set into your marriage easily if not dealt with. Depending on your personality type, repetition can be more easily accepted and handled. For me personally, it can be a death knoll if not handled appropriately. But one thing is certain, repetition and monotony is a given in life, and a lot of your peace and freedom depends on how you deal with them.
But beyond just the daily physical repetition of life, lies another dilemma. The repetition of fully and whole-heartedly following Jesus. Spiritual routine. If you have given your heart to Christ, He asks of you something that is entirely on a different plane that the rest of the world. A different kind of repetition comes to light as you follow Him and His commands. He calls you to be a light in a dark world. Every day, every year, all the time. He calls you to confess your sins to Him and repent of those sins, moving ever closer to Christ and the righteous life He asks of you. Every minute, every hour, every second. He calls you to share the power of His Holy name with the world around you. Wherever you live, wherever you work, wherever you vacation, you are to tell of who Jesus is. And folks as you follow Jesus, if it’s not approached with the right heart, the monotony of following His rules can also carry a death knoll. The “rules” of Christ can become so burdensome that you’ll look across the fence at your own ways that seem so much more rewarding and satisfying. And if you buy that lie, you’ll find yourself frolicking across that fence, knee deep in the grass of sin, all to shed the monotony of following Christ.
But I have a question for you. As we attempt to follow the commands of Jesus over and over, do we exempt some of those commands? Some rules that just seem impossible to be repeated? Oh, say for instance…betrayal? So, what if a good friend lies to your face? Hopefully, you will forgive them through the power of the Lord. But what if that same friend soon tells another vicious lie about you, betraying you even greater? Do you forgive again? Sure, why not. But what about number three? What about the fourth time they betray you? Do you keep forgiving or just write them off as a lost cause? Someone that you should cut ties with and never speak to again? A bad person. A bad friend. You see, in the true crux of successfully following Jesus, we will need to battle monotony and repetition. We will need to follow those same rules over and over and over. And as we do, we will find ourselves needing to repeat His principles. Mercy, grace, love, and yes…forgiveness. Especially concerning forgiveness in this world today, you will need to simply do it again. And again. And again.
In chapter 26 of 1 Samuel, we see David doing it again. You’ll recall that back in chapter 24, Saul took a potty break and walked right into the cave in which David and his 600 warriors were camping. David could have easily struck down Saul, but instead in a major show of mercy and forgiveness, David merely cuts off a corner of his royal robe. A sign that he was close enough to kill, but instead, he forgave. David’s act of kindness brings a teary Hallmark movie moment between he and Saul as they seemingly make up. But yet here, two chapters later, we are right back in the same boat. Saul’s forgiveness wore thin very quickly and he is back on the warpath for David. He pursues David into a mountainous region where David soon discovers Saul’s camp. David grabs one of his soldiers and they saunter right into the enemy camp, right past the guards and right to Saul’s sleeping bag. You see, the Lord had caused a “deep sleep to fall upon them” (1 Sam 26:12) so David could have walked right into that camp clanging cymbals and not woken anybody up. For the second time in a very short period, God had offered up David’s greatest enemy, like a turkey on a Thanksgiving platter.
Here we are, scene 2, act 2, take 2. David has the easy opportunity to kill Saul…again. His enemy and the cause for his endless running these past 10-12 years. He can end this madness right now. I mean, come on, let’s think about this. God has given David this amazing opportunity…again. Maybe the first time he was supposed to pass on the kill, but this time? It seems so clear; I mean God even put all the men to sleep to pave the way! So, as you look at this opportunity what would you do? Cement your desire to end your problems and rid yourself of your mortal enemy? You could easily claim that it is what God wanted since He allowed it and even set it all up, right? The only problem? God’s Will will never contradict His Word. David had God’s Word stored up in His heart and He knew the answer.
David refuses to kill Saul...again. The soldier with him, seeing this craziness says, “ok David, I’ll do it for you and then we’ll both win. You won’t have blood on your hands, and all the men will be free of Saul’s deadly pursuit...how about that?” David refuses. He instead opts for repetition. Instead of satisfying what he desires, he purses the monotony of following God’s law. David once again shows mercy and forgiveness to the man who desires to murder him. Folks, David has already shown this behavior to Saul once and yet here Saul lies at David’s feet, once again pursuing David to take his life. But David shows the heart of God. David does it again.
Later in the New Testament we see a beautiful exchange of just this topic between Jesus and Peter. Peter definitely had a temper and I can only imagine that after someone had betrayed or lied to Peter, he would quickly be done with them. Maybe this had recently happened to Peter and He stepped out greatly in showing forgiveness, only to be lied to and hurt again. I can see Peter, storming up to Jesus, frustrated, angry and perplexed. He needed clarification on the madness of this idea of forgiving people endlessly. Surely there has to be a limit.
“Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.” Matt 18:21-22
The words of Jesus ring out into the corners of my soul. Do it again. And then again. And then one more time. Now, keep it going, one more time. Folks, our goal on this planet as a follower of Christ is to emulate His life. We will never achieve it perfectly, but our goal is to be ever changing and learning from His perfect example. And to be like Christ is to live in repetition. To live in the monotony of His commands. We are to forgive every day, every month, and every year we breathe. We are to love all around us, all the time, all day and all night. We are to show mercy to those that trespass against us, today, tomorrow, and next week. Whenever you grow tired of doing good, the message of Jesus is clear…don’t stop…do it again.
“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9
Comments