Repetition

Repetition is very important to bring about learning. Another result is that it usually forms a habit. Whatever we repeat, we learn, which then becomes a habit. The devil knows that as fallen, disobedient, and rebellious people we are easy prey. He goes about his work with skillful deception that not even the most intelligent human being can outsmart him.

Sin, we must remember, is first conceived in our minds before we put it into action. The devil is very happy to put this knowledge to satisfy his own end, which is to destroy us. During sin's incubation stage we, unintentionally and intentionally, continue to feed those thoughts until they are birthed. We may try to distance ourselves from what we gave birth to but the truth never lies. It is we who have helped the incubation stage by repetition.

How is the incubation stage helped by repetition? It is helped when we invest time in a sinful train of thought. We then test it by acting with a little caution, similar to what we do before we cross a busy street where there isn't a pedestrian crossing. We are quick to make excuses and rationalizations if someone catches us in the act of saying or doing or not doing. We shrug it off and move on instead of honestly dealing with it then and there. Instead of letting the light of God's grace and truth address the sin, we cover it. Repetition that produces a habit is a result of time investment. Foolish time investment results in destructive patterns of attitudes and behaviors. Then we face another situation. What is this situation?.

It is this: the devil amps up his deceptions by having us think we can be free by our own efforts. We may then make popular rationalizations and excuses to justify or appease ourselves. If we continue this way over time we will eventually end up being enslaved. If as Christians we are enslaved to sinful habits we are living in contradiction to our identity. We are free but in our enslavement we are not accessing the power available. It is like sitting in the dark knowing there is a light switch and where it is but refusing to get up and switch it on.

Don't be fooled, the devil knows how to keep us deceived. He targets certain emotions and/or thoughts that encourages us to indulge in a particular sin or sins and to indulge therein repeatedly. There is hope and it comes through the renewing of our mind (i.e., transformation). Renewal is aided by repetition. By repetition I do not mean mindless chanting or anything of that nature. What it is is the habit of spending time with God in prayer and in meditating upon his word. It is not just memorization, which is also important, but the commitment to knowing and understanding God. It calls for time investment in those things which are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praise worthy (Phil 4:8). Repeatedly spending time meditating on God's words helps us to know and understand God. In the process we experience transformation. We need to, however, repeatedly receive God's grace, accept his truth, and depend on him to help us live in the light of his grace and truth. Then the victories promised and that are ours will be experienced repeatedly. Then transformation that comes by his grace and truth will result.

So today, what are we repeating? If what we are repeating is sinful then watch out! We will be plagued by the guilt and shame. We will live defeated lives and, if not treated, will be destroyed by what it produces. If our repetitions are filled with God's grace and truth then our lives will produce good fruits. We will live victoriously as God purposed and it will draw others to him. Let us therefore be mindful of the things we are repeating.