Changing Momentum

While driving, I heard this quote from a radio station many years ago:

When a woman does a lot of things, she can still do more things and thus accomplish more. But when a woman doesn’t do much, she won’t even finish well the little work she has.

It took me a few minutes to digest the words, I didn’t quite get it then. But now I understand that such is the power of momentum. This principle is in line with what the Bible teaches:

Matthew 13:12: Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.

A Longing for a Purposeful and Productive Life

One of the biggest frustrations in my adult life is already knowing which direction I should go or what I should be doing, but I simply could not do it. It is not due to lack of courage in my case, but more due to lack of self-discipline and self-control.

The readiness of entertainment at our fingertips and a myriad of distractions do not help either. I cringe every time I think of the total hours I had wasted in my lifetime.

Starting this blogging project is a good example. It had been in my mind for years before I finally started to dive into it. I could give you many defenses and itemize the everyday busyness to justify. But the simple matter was I need to put this project down on my schedule, sacrifice other things and protect the writing hours.

After I get my hands wet in the project, I slowly can see that I actually have more than enough margin to do the blogging project. I simply need to take away the mindless distractions and entertainment. I used to defend my entertainment viewing habit and argue that people need something for recreation; it is only a humane thing.  Although deep inside I sensed that these ‘recreation activities’ are inconspicuously numbing my minds and robbing me of joy, not to mention a feeling of hollowness afterward. In actuality, I had become addicted and didn’t have much control over the intensity these activities were invading my sacred time.

I know there is another breed of joy and satisfaction in life. I catch glimpses of that in other people’s lives and their examples confirm the longings in my own heart. I long for the joy and satisfaction of being in the creation process together with the Creator applying all that I am and all that I have. I long for the outcomes of my work to glorify Him and bless others. What a jubilant and purposeful life it will be!

But it is extremely hard to change life’s track and projection. Our flesh has its determined ways of avoiding hard changes and staying in the familiar comfort. A change of momentum is called for.

A bit of physics vocabulary: momentum is the tendency of a moving object to continue moving in the same direction. Another way to explain, momentum is the quantity of motion of a moving body. While Inertia is the resistance of an object to any change in its motion state or rest state.

To change momentum, we need extra energy and force to: 1) stop what we are currently doing (fight the inertia to stop the current momentum, either in a moving state or rest state), 2) figure out a new direction (some God seeking and soul searching time), and 3) start moving in that desired new direction (fight the inertia again to build up a new momentum).

According to the rule of inertia, an object will tend to continue in motion or at rest unless acted upon by an external force. So we need an external force to fight that inertia.

External Force

What is that external force? For most people, it will be their inner drive or willpower that helps them to change their disciplines and habits. From my own experiences, I can’t rely on my own willpower, perhaps it is not strong enough. The changes my willpower bring are usually temporary and unfortunately, it doesn’t originate from a transformed heart.

I know what is good for me, I try to make some changes, but my heart still very much longs for the wrong things. This pattern usually pertains to any continuous endeavors such as exercise, diet, work projects, etc.

The external force that is transformative from the inside out can only be the work of the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit establishes a new pattern of the heart’s desire, not just knowledge of what is good but a new longing to what is good. Holy Spirit renders motivations, convictions, admonitions and affirmations to every actions and decisions.

Another reason why we as Christ’s disciples should rely on the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit than our own willpower is because the purpose of these endeavors is not for our own glory but to please the Creator who gives us the life, gifts and talents to use.

After giving us a new (godly) desire, Holy Spirit will also provide the power that enables. Now we can fight the inertia and make things happen.

Philippians 2:13: for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose.

Ephesians 3:20: Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, …

2 Peter 1:3: His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

2 Timothy 1:7: For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

A common example for women: the motivation to eat healthily and exercise can either be to have an enviable body which is for our own glory or to honor our body as the Holy Spirit’s temple out of love and devotion to God.

The first motivation can help you reach your goal and retrain your appetites to some extent, but you generally still wage war within your flesh, because the desire to indulge in food and enjoy indolent activities for comfort still very much persists. While the second motivation changes everything from the root, the objective is no longer for the benefit of our pride and comfort, but for worshipping and glorifying Him with our actions and decisions. Our appetite’s orientation is changed from the core; we still need to take a rein of it and discipline it from time to time, but it will be a much easier battle.

The Scripture speaks clearly on this:

1 Corinthians 10:31: So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 6:19: Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.

Another external force for me is the support, rebuke, encouragement, and positive peer pressure from like-minded people, friends and loved ones. I set aside regular meeting times for accountability and regular doses of biblical counsel. Such is the condition of human nature, we need regular reminders despite the amount of knowledge we possess. The accountability dynamic gives the needed mixture of healthy pressure and positive encouragement on the struggling soul.

Hebrews 10:24-25: And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

So the external force comes from both the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit and the uplifting power of community.

Internal Work

There is also some internal work that needs to go hand in hand with the external force so that momentum can be changed.

They are our obedience and self-discipline.

God doesn’t force changes upon us because He desires our obedience be borne out of love and devotion to Him. It is our will to decide if we obey the nudges of the Holy Spirit or not.

Our willpower is also at play to flex the self-control muscles and to build self-discipline habits.

Note that you will need to muster some amount of internal willpower, but your willpower is not the main force of change. It comes as a definite response from a change in heart’s devotion (from self to God) and it can only be elevated to a viable level by the enabling power of Holy Spirit.

1 Timothy 4:7: On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.

1 Corinthians 9:27: I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

Opposing Force

There are two opposing forces that doggedly sabotaging us: internal and external. The internal opposing force is our own flesh. It is definitely a very much ongoing and waging war between our (new) godly desires vs. the inborn sinful desires. The Bible describes this reality plainly.

Romans 7:15-20: I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

The external opposing force comes from our enemy, Satan. It might sound like fantasy and myth, but the Bible warns us of this reality and existence. We are not just fighting against our own flesh, there is also a dark lurking force that is actively working against us.

It is the enemy’s objective to keep us drifting with our lives aimlessly and thus wasting our lives. The mammon idols, social distractions, all types of pleasures and entertainments are the main instruments from his toolbox because most people are vulnerable to those vices.

In Satan’s game plan, we were supposed to be like hamsters on a wheel, just live for ourselves, continuously entertaining ourselves and hoarding things for ourselves and then we die. All the while those years carry no meaning both in this lifetime and in view of eternity.  What a deceitful plan!

Ephesians 6:12: For our struggles is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

A best-selling author, Steven Pressfield explained that there is a ‘Resistance’ between the life we live and the unlived life within us. Its aim is to shove us away, distract us, and prevent us from doing our work. He describes it as an energy field radiating from a work-in-potential, it is a repelling force.¹ When I read his book, I identify this concept of Resistance as one part is our own lethargic flesh reveling in procrastination, laziness, comfort and maybe crippling fear and another part is the active work of the enemy in the spiritual realms.

Conclusion

God gives us unique gift, talents, experiences, and different structures of minds and personalities so that we can contribute uniquely to the community or society at large. When we are operating in our giftedness, we are energized, empowered, in the flow, living out what God has designed us to do.² I know that you have the desire to have a purposeful life and make an impact with your life beyond your own family, but if you feel ‘stuck’ in your condition right now, let’s start with prayers. It might seem like a big mountain in front of you now, but with His help and your faithfulness to obey, you will be surprised with what you will have accomplished sooner rather than later.

I urge you to use your energy, time, gifts and talents to bless God and others, it will give you the greatest joy and contentment. It is my prayer that we can start changing and building our momentum towards the direction and purpose given by the Creator. This is deemed loving God with all of our strengths.

2 Timothy 1:9: He has saved us and called us to a holy life – not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.

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¹Pressfield, Steven. The War of Art. New York: Black Irish Books, 2002, p. 07.

²Ogden, Greg. The Essential Commandment. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2011, p. 129.