The Blessing of Muscle Memory
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:8)
What we do is who we are in life. Most of life comes down to muscle memory. I became familiar with the value of muscle memory when I learned to play guitar. I would sit in front of the television, guitar in hand, and silently move my fingers on the fretboard from chord to chord. I wanted to retain my marriage, so striking the strings while we watched television was a no-no. Instead, I could improve my playing during television time simply by making the shape of the chords on the neck of my guitar. Doing the same thing multiple times is the way to create muscle memory.
Muscle memory isn’t just for musicians. Our brains respond like muscles when you nurture their memory. Do the same activities repeatedly, and your brain will naturally react to the memory of what you’ve done before. Act unethically, and it becomes easier to act inappropriately the next time. Provide love in challenging moments, and love will become your go-to response. Because the body and mind are influenced by muscle memory, the soul can benefit from muscle memory, too.
What muscle memory provides is more than just the act of doing. Muscle memory allows the action to become part of our being. We use prayer, worship, and other liturgical and missional activities to nurture our spiritual muscle memory. In a chaotic or fearful moment, our spiritual muscle memory goes to prayer and healing rather than panic and anger. Spiritual muscle memory intuitively guides us to the Holy Spirit and away from fatalism.
Today, begin using your spiritual muscle memory. Even if you pray regularly and worship weekly, acknowledging that you are enhancing your spiritual muscle memory helps you appreciate and improve the process. As you read your Bible, pray, or offer care, consider how it changes how you act and react. Most of life’s challenges catch us by surprise. Your emotional and spiritual muscle often responds before your rational mind. We are at our best when our spiritual muscle memory is in life with the Holy Spirit’s guidance.