By Shewanda Riley
“I just don’t get it.” I’d been staring at the same algebra equation for about 15 minutes
with still no clue how to solve it. I thought maybe if I stared long enough, the answer would
magically appear on the page. I didn’t want to but finally gave up and took a peek at the
answers. Once I looked at the answers, I finally understood the strategy and was able to work
out the problems.
Even after I closed the book, I was horrified and embarrassed at how little math I
remembered from high school and college. When I was in college working on my
undergraduate degree, I’d been given the option of taking College Algebra or The History of
Math. Guess which one I took? The History of Math. Years later, I regret that decision.
A number of years ago, I took a college math prep course for an upcoming test and
found myself getting stuck not because I didn’t know the strategy; those I can memorize. I got
stuck because I was trying to understand the strategy.
We sometimes make the same mistake when we try to understand why God does or
doesn’t do something. We try to understand the why, but all God wants us to do is follow his
strategy to love and obey him as it says in Deuteronomy 13:4: “It is the LORD your God you
must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold
fast to him.” It’s a simple strategy that doesn’t require understanding…just obedience. But in
order for obedience to work, we have to be consistent. Doing something right once is different
from doing the same thing right over and over.
As the start of a new school year is just around the corner, much of the first few weeks
of school will be dedicated to helping students of all ages adjust to the demands of their new
grade level. Students will learn new strategies but the key to them successfully using those
strategies is to do so consistently. Applying algebraic equations correctly in class one day will
give the right answer. However, applying that same algebraic equation to problems every
week will give the right strategy and equip you to deal with more difficult problems in the
future.
It’s the same way with obedience as Christians. Galatians 6:9 reminds us, “And let us
not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Doing the right thing once might make us feel good. However, doing the right thing again…and again…and
again gives us the strategies to be successful not just in the present. It also gives us the
foundation to make better decisions in the future.
Shewanda Riley is a Fort Worth, Texas based author of “Love Hangover: Moving from Pain to
Purpose After a Relationship Ends” and “Writing to the Beat of God’s Heart: A Book of
Prayers for Writers.” Email her at preservedbypurpose@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter
@shewanda.