5:17 church

Physics was my least-liked senior subject; I only did it because being the compliant young lady I was (hmm, questionable), I thought I may as well follow in my big sister’s footsteps and pick the same subjects she did in grade 11-12. In hindsight I wish I’d chosen Modern History or something like that, but I didn’t really know what the Humanities were all about till later in life. :s

Anyway, enough junior and senior physics stuck with me that I’m now able to make some useful sense of it in an ‘all of life’ context, and that’s pretty cool. Take for example, Newton’s second law of motion, F=ma, and how I reckon it can help us understand our discipleship.

F=ma in words is Force = mass * acceleration. Simply (or simplistically) put for our purposes, if an object has a force applied to it in a certain direction at a certain rate of acceleration, it will move. But having said that, the force needs to be great enough to overcome the inertia possessed by the mass / object otherwise it will stay put (think of a little kid trying to push his big father off a chair). Also, the direction of application of F and a can be negative or positive (or come from any direction) – that is, you can make the object move backwards or forwards depending where you push or pull it from.

How does all this help us understand discipleship?! Well Steve and I were just praying through the orange bookmark with all 5:17ers’ names on it, and I was having a ponder about where we’re all at in terms of our following Jesus. In a sense, we’re all ‘masses’ that need a Force applied to us in a certain direction, and we’re all moving at different rates of acceleration. Some of us have greater inertia than others and thus need more Force applied, and some of us are moving backwards and need a good dose of Force applied in the opposite direction. Some of us are stuck, because equal and opposite Forces have been applied such that we’re not moving at all.

To change the physics equation a bit, discipleship (like an apple that falls out of a tree) needs intentional momentum and positive trajectory. God wants us to grow! He wants us to move forward in following Christ, and preferably not at a snail’s pace.

I guess the implications are: if we’re serious about growing, we need to recognise what Forces are being applied to our lives, and in what directions. Are we exposing ourselves to positive-direction ones, and are we growing proportionally? If not, is the Force too small (eg. not enough Bible input or prayer or submission to God’s Spirit or fellowship and accountability) or is the inertia of the mass too big (eg. am I too stubborn, proud, blind, hardened, or foolish to submit myself to the Force God wants to apply?)

Paul the Apostle had a great formula for Christian growth – Romans 12:1-2 -

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.

The world applies a negative conforming Force to us and we need to resist it, and instead submit ourselves to the transforming, renewing Forces of God’s word and Spirit. How are you going at this?

Here’s another equation you might like to turn into prayer for yourself and our church family. You might have come across it elsewhere.

Growth in Christ = F * A * T = Faithful * Available * Teachable

May God make 5:17ers self-consciously, prayerfully, and humbly F*A*T – so that the Forces He applies to us will result in His glory, our good, and a huge, positive impact on our world.