2 "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith ..."
Hebrews 12:2 (Berean Study Bible)
In sports, when athletes are learning new skills, a smart coach will be sure to show a visual demonstration from someone who can perform the skill with excellence. Then when it’s time to imitate the skill, a coach won’t stand by and watch while mistakes are being made over and over.
Great coaches have an eye for detail, and they correct even the tiniest mistakes. They want their athletes to develop correct muscle memory by doing the skill correctly many times.
My college coach had an eagle-eye for the fundamentals, and she demanded we correct our mistakes. She lived by the motto, “Practice doesn’t make perfect, it makes permanent; only perfect practice makes perfect.”
So when we practice to perform perfectly – correcting our mistakes as we go – we learn to perform skills correctly. Then, not only in practice but in game situations, without having to think about the execution of the skill, we perform the skill correctly.
It literally becomes second nature to us, a habit formed!
Wouldn’t it be amazing to carry this learning technique over to our spiritual training? Jesus, of course, gives us the perfect demonstration to follow, and Hebrew 12:2 tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.
Can you imagine if we really had our eyes trained on Jesus at all times? That means we would be watching His responses and imitating His actions in every situation.
We would still need help though – we’d need a coach with an eye for detail, to correct and guide us. Oh, wait! We do have a coach – not just any coach, but a Hall of Fame coach – and His name is Holy Spirit.
We can walk habitually with Jesus, and godliness can become second nature to us. We have the perfect example (Jesus), the ultimate coach (the Holy Spirit) and a Father who has called us to be on His team forever.
“And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).
A prayer to consider: Lord, I have the ultimate coaching staff, and my motivation is supernatural! Christ in me!
