Fix Your Rhythm

When I moved to Sacramento, I served at this church who’s Worship Pastor was a good friend of mine. I thought I had all the confidence in the world to be in the worship team until I met him. He is one of the most gifted, humbled, loving guys I’ve ever met. When I arrived at his church in Sacramento, I knew very little in music and not that I know anything more now, but he gave me and gives everyone he works with direction even when we don’t know basic things like timing.

I had my guitar. I had my capo, my guitar strap, my pics, my tuner, my hard case, my amp. I had all the tools I thought I needed to carry out the deed. I was ready. Then the Worship Pastor handed me a set of headphones. These were my “in-ears.” These sent out a metronome in my ear forcing me to keep the rhythm because the moment you lost rhythm, you lost the song. That sound was annoying. It was distracting. It kept me from doing what was expected of me.

At our first practice, I took the in-ears out and let them hang around my neck like all the cool musicians do. The entire band was playing a different pace than I was. I could never find the right time either to chime back in. Let’s just take a break from the main point and let me say this: When everyone is the problem, you’re probably the problem. I worked and worked on playing with in ears. It was frustrating. It was like I had to unlearn how I played. But ultimately, I had to fix my rhythm.

You can’t keep doing the same thing and expecting different results. You can’t keep doing something that is hurting you and expect that at some point it won’t hurt anymore. It may not be that you can’t seem to find the right guy, but God telling you that you don’t need to be with someone right now. You can’t just go to the gym and keep eating garbage and expect to lose weight. You may think you’re going to love like Jesus loves, but you won’t as effectively until you surround yourself with those with the same ambition. You have to fix your rhythm.

If you’ve messed up your life song because you fell off beat, that’s ok, but finding the rhythm again will take time. Sometimes you can mess up so bad, you have to start all over again. But again, that’s ok! The point is your life song doesn’t have to end. Name your worst sin and I can promise you, Paul or I one have you beat. Sometimes when you find your rhythm, many will say you’re still off beat; you’ll never find your timing again. Keep singing, keep dancing, never… stop… playing. The truth might be that they too need to fix their rhythm. It’s so much easier to point out where someone else screwed up and pretend like you never have. It’s a temporal satisfaction as it blankets their mistakes. You’ve probably been guilty of this too. Maybe judging others is what’s caused you to stumble. Fix your rhythm.

In reading Acts 9, it was evident Saul (later Paul) clearly thought he was doing God’s work. Ever met someone like that? Where they think they’re doing the Lord’s work, but their doing more harm than good? Have you dismissed them? Seemed like the right thing to do, right? Well, until you read Acts 9. In Acts 9, Saul is doing his best to kill off Christianity. And in verse 4, Jesus asks him the famous words, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” And Saul had no idea who’s voice that was, but pleaded, “who are you, Lord?” And Jesus informs him just who’s he’s addressing, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” Jesus then tells him to, “get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do.”

Now this guy, Ananias, The Bible calls him a disciple of Jesus, and Jesus calls out to him in a vision and Ananias responds, “Yes, Lord.” Kinda proves that sermon Jesus preached in John 10 that, “my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me.” In contrast to Saul who didn’t know who he was talking to. Anyways, Ananias gets told by Jesus in this vision to meet with Saul on Straight Street and heal him as he’s lost his sight since having his meet and greet with the voice of the one whom he persecutes. Ever dismissed someone who thinks they’re doing the Lord’s work, but they’re doing more harm than good? Ananias did. His name was Saul. Ananias tells Jesus in verse 13, “Lord… I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” I mean, Ananias had a point. Saul wasn’t just playing judge and jury. He played executioner against anyone who claimed to be a follower of Christ.

So, when Jesus heard Ananias’ claim, Jesus told him he was right and encouraged Ananias to leave Saul in his own mess because he got what he deserved.

Wait…

Looking at many Christian’s repeated actions, it would be a safe assumption that, that’s what the scripture says. I can’t count on my hands and feet how many times I’ve seen a broken sinner saved by grace crying for help, and the Church run and hide after judgement. How many pregnant teens have been completely removed from the church because their sin makes the church look bad? If that’s your rhythm, have you ever thought that rejecting broken people might make you look worse? Where a man makes mistakes, cries out for help, and your reply is rumors, lies, and gossip? Where the conversation becomes more here say about what we heard someone did, rather than finding a way to help the broken. I’m thankful for the Ananias’ in my life. That no matter what they’ve heard, read in a tweet, Facebook post, letter or email, they seek truth before a juicy story by going to God before their feelings. Fix. Your. Rhythm.

So what did Jesus actually say?

“But the Lord said to Ananias, ‘Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.’”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭9:15-16‬

Despite Saul’s sin, Jesus call him his chosen instrument. Despite Saul’s condition, Jesus had a plan. Despite what others would say about him, think of him, or try to do to him, God was only getting started with Saul. Jesus reminded Ananias that it was Christ’s job to reveal to Saul what he would suffer.

How do you fix your rhythm? Well, remember how I first discovered “in-ears?” I didn’t realize I struggled with rhythm on guitar (along with a host of other things) until the Worship Pastor handed me those headphones. Meanwhile, you sit and wonder how to fix your rhythm in life and the answer is simple. What or who are you listening to? Who’s in your in-ears? If you want to fix your rhythm, you have to listen to Christ. Ananias did. When Jesus told him to go, verse 17 says, he went.

Ananias got to be a part of helping the Apostle Paul bring the Gospel to the world by having his rhythm fixed on Jesus. Saul would become Paul and go on to be one of the greatest preachers in the world, but it started with fixing his rhythm. You want to change the world? You want your world to change? You want to quit living a life saturated with judgement, hate, and confusion? Your mistakes may be many, but grace and forgiveness sits at the door of your heart waiting. Fix your rhythm. Signing out for now. Talk to you again soon. Thanks for reading.