Bumper Guards

Our family loves to go bowling. We don’t often go but when we do there is some serious Ketchum competitiveness displayed. Truth be told, however, only a few of us are truly gifted in the sport. Whether because of the amount of practice some have accrued or the age and physical capability possessed, the spectrum of ability is far more diverse than that of the rivalry. So, many a bowling night has been rescued by that most wonderful of inventions – the bumper guard.

At one of our more recent visits to the local lanes, one of our kids became frustrated with always having their ball glide along the rail and end up hitting only one or two side pins. Their competitive nature was too great and, being the smart, creative child they are, they decided that they would use the guards strategically. They wouldn’t try to avoid them, as is the proper intent. That had only landed them minimal points anyway. Instead, they would aim the ball at a point in the rail as to reach the pins in the sweet spot. A mathematically challenging feat (yay for math!) but, again, not what I imagine the bumper guards were created for.

I was surprised one day when reading thru Revelation, of all places, to be struck with the application of this memory to the scripture. Bowling and scripture?! Well, here it is… The author was relaying God’s words to a church of his time. God was happy with the people’s hard work and perseverance for the spread of the gospel. They were not afraid to do what was needed. They were faithful but they had lost their spark. The church did what was required and good in the sight of God but they had forgotten why and for Whom they persisted. The excitement of ministry and the awareness of the role God’s grace played in their lives had faded.

Some of us go thru life using God’s grace as our bumper guards. Like the church, we know the basics of what God asks of us. We chuck the ball in the general direction we need to and have Him course correct us as we travel haphazardly down the lane. Lots of good intention but no heart, no effort, no spark. Faithful but uninspiring.

To live our lives for God takes effort and perseverance. It is not easy and sometimes we do need the rescue of God’s grace to keep us on the right path. But, oh, how amazing to be on that path at all. Our gratefulness for His gift should inspire our discipline and persistence on this journey. We have to overcome complacency and the routine of life. Often it takes hard work and practice to ignite the passion that we have for God and His will for us. The exuberance of our heart for Him is so much more valuable and contagious to others.

Yes, my family and I had a blast testing the limits of the bumper guards but I can tell you that greater satisfaction was eventually felt in sending the ball down the lane without hitting the rails. In the same way, it is easier and sometimes more tempting to let God do all the work but where’s the excitement in that?!?