Unshackled Moments ~ August 6, 2018 ~ Stop Trying So Hard

Trying doesn't work. Neither does trying harder. Yoda was right. Do or do not. There is no try. But doing doesn't mean instant success or ability. We are told that trying hard and never giving up is the secret to success, but those who are successful know that's a lie. We all do when we stop and think about it.

The trick is not to try but to train. This is obvious in so many things. Actors don't read scripts once and then hope for the best. They memorize and rehearse and run lines and do it all until they know their part. Athletes don't wait until game time and try hard. They exercise and practice many more hours than they'll have in game time. Do any of us think for a minute that Jimi Hendrix just picked up a guitar when he went on stage and tried very hard? No. He practiced until his fingers bled. He played those riffs over and over until he could play them without even thinking. And everyone in those examples begin or began as, well, beginners.

Musicians start with scales and basic tunes that they can't get right long before they play masterpieces. Those who make it are the ones who keep training. We may say they keep trying, but it's more than trying. They evaluate performance. They receive instruction. The learn what they're doing wrong and they continue to work at it until they get it/ The rest of us sit at home and listen to their work or play Rock Band video games.

Two months ago tomorrow my wife had open heart surgery. In October we plan to take part in a charity walk that is important to her.  She walks several times a week. I have been walking as well. We aren't just waiting until that day and setting out to try hard to make the distance. We are building up to it. To do otherwise could mean being unable to walk the entire distance. It could mean worse and be unhealthy.

A life worth living comes with relationship with God, and that comes from following Jesus. And trying to just wait until the moment of trial, for time to perform is a set up for disaster. Don't try. Do. But like every marathon runner began with a crawl and a few wobbly steps and falls, followed by learning to walk well and run. Then, once the goal is set, training and building the body and running regularly are all prerequisites to the race. No one just gets up and runs that far. We will have to start small. We will have missteps and mistakes. We need to learn and train with information, instruction and regular exercise. Don't give up in discouragement when you can't go the distance from day one. And don't wait until time to race to start getting ready. Practice doing right when it's easy. Pray. Study the word so that it will become a part of you. That way, when the trouble and temptation come, you are ready. You don't have to try. You have trained yourself to remember to turn to Daddy and rely on His strength.


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