There is a story I like to tell my Judo students when they are feeling down because they’re not mastering the techniques as easily as they wish. The feeling of inadequacy is common with any difficult endeavor, and I usually see it within the first six months to a year after starting Judo.

Anyways, this is the story I tell them. There were two men who started Judo when they were about four years old, and they continued to train together up until they were well into their seventies. One of them told the other that he was having trouble executing a specific technique. The other had him demonstrate how he was doing it, and then told him that he would think about it and help him improve on it at their next training session. It so happened that the one asking for help died before the next practice. At the funeral, his old friend and training partner leaned into the coffin and whispered into the ear of his old friend’s corpse, “If you step to the right about three more inches and with your hands pushing out, I think you’ll execute technique much better.” The point is that it takes a lifetime to really master Judo, and sometimes even longer.

The same is true for Christian faith. We strive to walk in the light for a lifetime and never really master it. Thankfully our God is gracious, and as long as we’re making the attempt he will grant us salvation and redemption, and He will give us an eternity to truly master it.

#Judo, #WalkingInTheLight