Snowmaggedon! A snowstorm is coming in two days to the Northeast. Milk and bread are flying off the supermarket shelves. It’s as if milk and bread will become extinct commodities forever. This peculiar behavior goes on every time a snowstorm blows through. Every winter claims at least one major snowstorm, so supermarket owners are happy purveyors as their shelves are emptied. Pavlov would be smiling at this predictable stimulus-response behavior.
We are such creatures of habit. So many everyday things are done without thought by merely the stimulus of routine. Oh, but routine is a good thing, especially for keeping one’s life in some semblance of order and predictability. The down side of habitual behavior is when it gets in the way of individual and/or church growth. Here are some examples.
- Sit in the same section every Sunday.
You’ve staked out your territory and marked your place. Nobody better even think about taking your space without the risk of sidelong glares or rolled eyes. Imagine the unaware newbies who plopped in the pew of Brother and Sister So-and-So and who now notice tense body language of people around them. Do you think they are likely to return?
Try sitting in different locations each time. You will find new perspectives and even meet new people as you change your seating.
- Hang out with the same people after the service.
I’ve noticed that people tend to group together with their family members and same friends week after week. Small cliques are formed and the vibe says to visitors, “You are really not welcome to return, even though you were greeted with a handshake and a smile and filled out the visitor’s card.”
Take a risk and reach out to people with whom you don’t usually converse. Make it a point to introduce yourself and engage in conversation with someone new to the church. You will find some new acquaintances that may evolve into deep friendships. You may even be the answer to their prayers.
- Read only certain passages, books, or sections of Scripture.
You are comfortable in reading the gospels and epistles. Every now and then you venture into Psalms or one of the Old Testament stories of the likes of Moses, but Jeremiah is a huge stretch. You claim that Revelation and many of the Old Testament books are too difficult and even somewhat scary, and so you avoid them. It would mean some serious effort and study.
Don’t let pride stop you from personal growth. Ask for resources to help you venture into those places in God’s Word that you perceive to be difficult. More than likely others you know have the same need and would love to journey into the new turf with you.
- Pray the same prayers over and over.
Like the automated messages on phone menus, you have a stock of prayers for every occasion. You repeat the same words over your food when asked to bless the meal, and the words tumble off your lips like reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
Take a breather from fear, thinking you want to sound reasonably intelligent and holy, and give your attention to the One to whom you are talking—the Lord. Prayer is a conversation with God—giving him praise, thanks, adoration; presenting petitions to Him; expressing your faith in His Words on the matter; and the other side of the conversation—hearing from God. Remain open to His voice and hear what He has to say. It might amaze you.
And while you are at it, keep a loaf of bread in the freezer and some emergency powdered milk in the pantry for weekends like this. Relax and enjoy the beauty of a fresh snowfall before the plows shove piles along the curb and do something different just for the fun of it.
Copyright 2016 by Eva Benevento.
All rights reserved.