God's Kinetic Chain

There is a concept in the sport of tennis called the kinetic chain.   It may very well exist in other sports also, but I learned it while listening to my daughter's tennis coach.  He said that in order to properly engage in a volley or serve the ball, everything must start with an efficient motion.  This first motion must then flow seamlessly into the next one, kicking off a chain of events that ultimately leads to a successful execution of the technique.  Remember that kinetic energy is energy in motion, and in order to perform this chain of events properly, none of the individual steps can occur out of sequence.  When done correctly, it is quite a sight to see.  

If you watch just about any professional athlete, you will see this concept at play.  The way Peyton Manning throws a football for example, or the way Michael Phelps swims across an Olympic sized pool.  Every movement is technically sound.  There is no breakdown anywhere in the kinetic chain.  Near perfect technique leading to the desired end result.  

I believe that the art of meeting and interacting with God has it's own kinetic chain.  Each step of getting to know Him better flows into the next step, until we can look back at our life at some point and connect all the dots.  We can trace back the beginning, middle, and end.  And we can also look to see at what point our technique may have been flawed, or where our kinetic chain broke down from time to time.

I want to carry this idea forward by suggesting that God's kinetic chain consists of four parts - each flowing into the next.  We can begin by stating the fact that God pursues us, then we worship Him, our faith next will mature, and finally we can pass along what we learn to others.  It is this chain of events over the course of a lifetime that can literally change the world.  Let's look at each step in a little more detail below.

If we are being honest, I think that we have to admit that most of us didn't begin by looking for God.  Quite the contrary, He had to come find us.  He had to do something to shake us out of our comfort zone, or remind us that He is still in charge.  Take the Israelites for example.  The Lord spent about 1,500 years driving home the idea that human beings need to repent and follow His commands.  The story of the Old Testament is really one of rebellion, repentance, and then restoration (over and over again).  But God had to make himself known to us through His prophets and His Spirit first.  We would be lost without that first step.  

The second step in this kinetic chain is that we begin to feel a need to worship God.  He has pursued us and made Himself known, and now our logical reaction to this fact should be to fall on our knees and worship Him in praise and gratitude.  Gratitude for the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for our sins, as well as the fact that we are created in the likeness of His image.  Both of these things are gifts that were given to mankind out of an abundance of love and mercy.  God didn't owe us this, but He did it anyway.

The third step is a result of this worship and adoration - namely, that our faith must naturally begin to mature and grow.  As we follow God and study His ways over time, it is no surprise that the student begins to emulate his/her master.  He begins to change our trajectory from selfish and sinful to service oriented and sanctified.  You don't meet the living God and walk away unchanged, it just doesn't work that way.  

Finally, God brings us to a point in our faith walk where we are ready to help other people.  This might mean sharing the Gospel message through evangelism, or it might mean we become teachers or mentors.  Whatever the case may be, He takes us out of our comfort zone and into the spiritual battleground.  We have come off the bench and are now in the game.  And this is also a good place to pause and take stock of our own lives as well.  Are we working for Him, or are we just going through life worrying about ourselves and our own desires?  If we aren't doing anything at all for God or the church, then it's time to step back and recalibrate.  Something is missing.  

You may notice something else at this point.  You may be asking yourself, "what about all of the lukewarm living going on in America today?"  Remember the term lukewarm simply means that your faith isn't producing the fruit of the spirit.  You don't take God seriously, and there is no commitment to be faithful to the Gospel or to repent from sin.  There are thousands of people stuck in this boat.  They may even attend church regularly, but the truth of the Bible never took hold.  From the outside looking in, their lives resemble everyone else's.  There is no way to really tell if God has changed their hearts.

Lukewarm people interrupt the kinetic chain early on.  They never move past generalized corporate worship and on to becoming a mature Christian.  It's like skipping every tennis practice, and then showing up at the meet and expecting to win a match.  Instead, you will be more likely to end up chasing tennis balls around the court after swinging wildly and missing with the racket.  Quite honestly, this watered down version of the faith isn't worth passing along to other people anyway.  The chain breaks down here for good reason, and the technique cannot be executed properly.  

There is good news of course.  God has promised to guide our process of engaging in the kinetic chain.  He has promised to help us when needed, and edify us when called for.  If we repent of sin and come to Him with a genuine heart, I don't think there is any reason to fear the lukewarm predicament.  Isaiah 48:17 says, "This is what the Lord says - your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; 'I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs your steps in the way you should go.'"

Further in Isaiah, chapter 58 and verse 11 says, "The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame.  You will be a well-watered garden, like a spring whose water never fail."  

God will guide, protect, and help teach us how to mature in our faith.  Much like the sport of tennis, God's chain of events takes practice to do well.  On any given week we can attend church, go to small groups, and read the Bible.  Stay in prayer on a regular basis, and don't give up trying to live out your faith.  You may give up on God from time to time, but He will not give up on you - no matter the cost.  He will make you an experienced tennis player if you let Him.  

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