August 31, 2022 — Don’t get Bored with Repetition

“You ever hear the expression, ‘measure twice, cut once’,” Stan asked me out of the blue one morning while we waited for breakfast.

“Sure,” I replied. “Make certain I’m cutting at the right place before I cut and find out I didn’t measure right. Why do you ask? You forget to do that?”

“You got that right,” Stan said. “Yesterday I went by Fred’s Frame Shop and picked up some photos I had Fred frame for me. They were from a trip we took last year and I wanted to hang them in the den.”

“How’d it go?” I asked.

“It was great,” Stan replied, “if you happen to like pictures hanging next to each other at different heights, and if you like the frustration of doing a job over that could have been done right in the first place!”

“Oh,” I replied, “You forgot to measure twice before putting the picture hooks into the wall.”

“Sure did,” Stan said. “I thought I knew all I needed to know about how to hang the pictures and that measuring once would take care of it. But it didn’t. I had to repeat the process until I got it right, until I understood that repetition can be a good thing, not only for hanging pictures correctly, but also in gaining a better understanding for my faith walk.”

“Your faith walk!” I replied. “What does hanging pictures have to do with your faith walk?”

“It’s the repetition of the basics,” Stan said. “The apostle Paul wrote about that and I think it’s essential for my understanding of what God has for me to be and to do while He leaves me here before I step into eternity.”

“Paul wrote about repetition?” I asked. “What’d he have to say?”

“That repeating himself was no trouble to him,” Stan said, “and that such repetition would be a safeguard to his readers.”

“A safeguard,” I repeated. “I can certainly relate to that. Not only do I tend to forget things God has said to me about my faith walk, too often I don’t even listen in the first place.”

“So,” Stan affirmed, “repetition is a good thing, whether I’m talking about measuring more than once to make sure I get the pictures hung properly the first time, or whether I’m talking about having God repeat the same thing more than once to make sure I got it right! I am to not get bored with repetition!”

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Bible verses to consider:

Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and is a safeguard for you.  Philippians 3:1.

And I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder. 2 Peter 1:13.

Prayer:  Thank you, Father, that you sent people to repeat to me the truth of your free and gracious provision of life with you eternally when it’s time. That repetition was necessary for me to understand and accept what you had for me. Thank you, too, for repeating the same things to me while you keep me on this side of eternity. You know and I know how I need to hear the same thing from you because I do not pay attention and do not remember.  Your repetition is welcome!  Please repeat yourself to me as often as you know is necessary.  And please open me to hear, listen, and embrace in obedience all you have for me.  Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

Think on this: Have you accepted the truth of the gospel so you know you will spend eternity in God’s presence when it’s time? If no, why? How many times does it need to be presented before you accept it? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, do you find that God has to repeat Himself to you several times before you obey or understand what He is saying? If yes, why is that? What value do you see in the repetition of the basic truths of Christianity? If you sense the need to respond more quickly so God doesn’t have to repeat Himself, how is that going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?