Missing the Target is Easy

Some things you only do because of where you are and who is with you.

Like going to family camp with my kids.

It is only there that I go on the zip line and only because they are with me. While the thought of jumping off the tower is not so intimidating, I fear more the landing which might result in a broken ankle or hip - mine or the teenager who is there to "catch me."

I only do that at family camp with my kids.

It is only at family camp with my kids that I pick up bow and arrow.

Here it's not a fear issue, but a failure issue. It's not so bad to miss the target when your kids aren't much better. But this year, my son was way better. It was still a good time and we weren't competing. It was just interesting to see that he had gotten a grasp of the concept and was doing a good job of hitting the target consistently.

And I figured out why I don't hit the target: It's hard work. It takes practice. It takes discipline. I didn't really want to succeed.

Pull back the bow. Aim. Release without losing the target from sight. Adjust for the next shot.

I'm not good at hitting the bulls eye.

I'm really good at missing the target all together.

I really can't imagine a bow hunter actually hitting the head of a wild turkey. 

We learned in theology class that the root word for "sin" in the New Testament means "missing the mark."

Missing the mark is easy.

So is sin.

It's easy to give into temptation. It's hard to fight it.

It's easy to lie. It's not always easy to tell the truth.

It's easy to be lazy. It's hard to get out of bed when the alarm clock goes off.

Just like it's easy to miss the target, it's easy to sin.

Victory over temptation takes the same skill as hitting the bulls eye with an arrow: hard work, practice, discipline.

And I think that success along the way helps, too. If you hit the target one out of five times, you'll try harder to get closer to the center. The thrill of victory leads to the next challenge.

If you have victory over temptation once, it's easier to fight the next time. Once you've experienced the joy of obedience and the peace of a clear conscience, you want to have those emotions again.

So don't put down the bow yet.

Hard work.

Patience.

Discipline.