Building and Maintaining Momentum

When we speak of the unimpeded force of God in our lives as momentum we must think along the lines of building and maintaining momentum. As believers we begin the process with courage and obedience, but we must build the momentum (to keep us moving forward) and maintain it (so we don't fall back).

To build momentum we must "Remember when . . ." This means using the past as a launching pad to move forward. Remembering when keeps us from forgetting. It's like the movie The Notebook - this was one of the last movies Karen and I watched together - it's a wonderful movie guys, get it and watch it alone with your sweetie. In the end Noah (played by James Garner) is sitting in his bed looking over old pictures of he and his wife, who is suffering from alzheimers. He then picks up a book that he has been reading to her all day. The pages flip to the front page where you see the title of the book, Our Life Together and her signature underneath. Then the camera pans down to see a little note she has written, "So you'll never forget."

Now I know God's Word to forget the past and not to dwell on thing that took place before, but I think God is talking to a lot of us who live in the past, ala Uncle Rico in Napoleon Dynamite who continues to live in 1982. He can't let go of the past. The church, and many of its members are just like Rico. If all you hear is, "remember when we/i used to . . ." then you know there is no momentum. But God does want us to remember what HE has done for us. In Joshua God tells Joshua to build a monument so that when their children ask about it they can tell their children what God has done.

Remembering what GOD has done for us, in us, and through us helps us remember the faithfulness, power and presence of God in our lives. THAT gives us hope for the future. But only if we use it to move us forward and not camp out on the past. Another great example is Stephen's message to the church leaders in Acts. His entire message is a message of the incredible things God did in the life of Israel. The leaders could have used this as a momentum builder, but they chose, instead, to use it as a momentum killer (and a Stephen killer).

Once we build momentum we will need to maintain it. That comes in the form of "Looking forward." Looking forward prepares us the hills in our lives. If we are not ready for them we will loose momentum. Think of an "S" curve. You begin at the bottom, building momenum. Then you slowly maintain momentum as you overcome the "S" curve until you reach the top. When you reach the top you look for the next "S" curve. If you don't then you head back down creating a bell-curve. Whatever you do, you DO NOT want to experience a bell-curve. You will loose every bit of momentum you had created.

For me, as a valley experiencer, my first "S" curve came in the form of Karen being diagnosed with cancer. My next "S" curve, or hill, if you like, is learning to live life without Karen. My desire to remember when God provided the strength and the peace to get through my first "S" curve. This helps me know that my Shepherd loves me, cares for me, and wants to lead me. Now I must trust him to get me through this next "S" curve in my life. I know he did it before. I know he will do it again.

I will admit not all hills or "S" curves are as traumatic as loosing a spouse. But you will have to decide what they are. Only you can identify them and decide to climb them. The shepherd and the flock will lead you, encourage you, push you (at times), and love you. But it's up to you.

If you are in the midst of the valley remember what God has done for you in the past and look to the future with confidence that what he has done in the past he can do in the future.

Climbing the curve,
Mike