Faith Is a Journey, Not a Spreadsheet

Writing for The New York Times, Scott Cacciola profiles runners who've ditched their GPS devices for training sessions. Some don't even wear a watch. But by giving up their obsessive focus on data, these runners say they've rediscovered the joy of running. These aren't weekend warriors, either; they're professional athletes.

Joy, not data, is helping these runners succeed.

A device that can track your pace, second by second, seems like a competitive advantage. But the technology changes our focus.

Instead of running, these runners are thinking about the data about their running. Instead of being tuned into the moment and their bodies, they're distracted and anxious.

I confess that I've often made the same mistake with my faith.

Instead of experiencing God, I'm thinking about the data about my faith.

The pursuit of optimization is pervasive. So, without noticing it, discussing it, or even choosing to start optimizing our faith, it can happen anyway.

For instance: Did you have a quiet time today? How long was it? How many verses did you read? Are you on a 'reading streak' in the app? Or did you miss a day? How many chapters must you catch up on for your reading plan?

I guess these metrics might have a place. It's interesting to see how much progress we've made in reading through the Bible. We can find encouragement to realize that we're habitually dedicating time to God. But for the most part, they're irrelevant to the life of faith.

First, what matters at this moment is your connection to God.

That can't be optimized; it can only be experienced. 

Our experience might be deadness, anger, gratitude, or sorrow. But whatever it looks like, the authentic option is to be attentive to our hearts and honest with God. Would you rather memorize the Bible from Genesis to Revelation but not know God — or have one moment of pure openness to his grace?

It's when we're alive to God that every other activity in life - whether religious or not - finds its meaning.

Second, optimization requires reproducibility.

If you design factories, this is a helpful mindset. But it will confuse you if you want to be close to God. Show me the formula God applies to humanity in the Bible. We might jump to "the gospel," but that misses the point. The good news isn't a math equation we can dissect but an experience of our Triune God transforming who we are.

Third, spiritual growth involves struggles.

Even if we wanted to optimize a hardship, it's probably beyond our capacity. If we did optimize it, we'd miss the point. And if we're telling others to make the most of their suffering, we're likely kicking people when they're down. Faith is less like crushing your opponents and more like finding that God cares for you when you have nothing to give.

Fourth, optimizing faith ignores all the fundamentals.

We're creatures; God is the Creator. We're restless; God is reliable. We're running away; God is revealing his love. 

You can optimize a system or a process that's smaller than you are. But you can't improve upon how God is already at work in the world.

Yet, our lives are not working. There's dysfunction, injustice, and humbling limitations. So, we wrestle with mysteries beyond our comprehension. How do you optimize a process when God controls the timing?

Consider Jesus' invitation in John 15. He said, "I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit because you can do nothing without me." 

We want to be in the position of the Gardener. But at our best, we're branches connected to the Vine.

Fifth, attempting spiritual perfection, ironically, makes us less holy.

Would you rather be friends with someone who loves you or is trying to be perfect? And if you're attempting perfection with God, who are you fooling? How will you confess your sins? Or experience grace? 

We would be very self-deceived to think we had developed the perfect religious system. Instead of being free to know God, we'd be trapped inside the boxes we made. It's risky to run a spiritual playbook that doesn't need God to work.

Rather than optimizing Someone we can't control, it's healthier to admit to God our real fears: that we wish we were in control, could make things go our way, or avoid suffering.

Being dependent on God and others can be scary. But it's also how we experience acceptance and love.

If you want to optimize your faith, start there.

Tell that to God. In the security of his loving presence, discover what's motivating this approach to your faith. The following steps might be disorganized, uncomfortable, or challenging.

But if you're taking them with God, that's enough. 

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Photo by Filip Mroz on Unsplash