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Have you ever felt the boredom that comes from repetition? I thought about this the other day when playing fetch with my dog. How is there any enjoyment in chasing the same rope again, and again, and again, and again, and again. I am sure some of you were feeling it just now, reading the phrase “and again.” Another one? Really, Derek?!

Repetition, while helpful and needed in areas, can become quite monotonous. It gets boring. It gets tiring. And, over time, can easily become a source of frustration and burnout, leading to wishes of something else to do or even a stoppage of the job or task all together.

But not all repeated things are bad. In fact, some are incredibly important for our lives. Hopefully, you have the repeated habit of brushing your teeth every day. Hopefully, you have the repeated habit of showering. You need the repeated habits of breathing, sleeping, eating, and drinking water in order to survive. Remove them, and life does not go well.

Spiritually, our lives need some repetition. We need repeated study of God’s Word. We need repetition in our prayer life. It is crucial that we repeatedly gather with the local church. We must repeatedly yield to the Spirit in our daily lives. But, in spite of the needs for the repetition of these things, we battle with the temptation for these areas to become tiresome.

Do I really need to read my bible? Does it really need to be *every* service? Do we really have to sing that song again? Do we really have to go through this series still? If we aren’t cautious, we allow the boredom or tiredness of repetition to impact the importance of these areas spiritually. So, how do we avoid allowing these areas to become stale or points of frustration?

We must remember the why behind the what.

Why do I need to read my Bible? Why do I need to prioritize prayer? Why is it crucial for me to assemble with the body? To glorify my Savior and to grow in my sanctification. These are the tools that Christ has given us to accomplish both tasks. When we lose sight of the why, we lose sight of the value of the what. They become just things, rather than life-giving tools. They become moments of frustration, rather than moments of grace, in our lives.

You aren’t always going to be pumped up when you are driving to church. Some mornings are tougher than others. The baby was up the whole night before. You are pretty sure you got food poisoning from lunch on Friday and you aren’t feeling your best, and you are wiped. You are going to have moments like this with prayer, with reading your bible, with investing with others, with yielding to the Spirit. Recognize that this is how you feel, but don’t let it stop you. Just because it is hard or its repetitive, doesn’t mean it isn’t helpful.

Consider for a second how often encouragement towards faithfulness, perseverance, steadfastness, endurance appear in the New Testament. There are a lot! Why? Because life isn’t always easy. We battle our flesh. We get tired. We get discontent. The biblical authors, under the inspiration of God, wanted us to be push us - keep going! Keep living for Christ! Keep making spiritual decisions.

Like Quincy, keep chasing the rope. Even when it seems repetitive. Keep going. Remember the why behind the what and find rest in Christ.

Serving Together, 

Pastor Derek