Quit Repeating Yourself

 

Quit Repeating Yourself

1 John 2.12-17

Had a lady several years ago in the Fairview congregation who seemed offended at the idea that so many words repeated themselves through the Scriptures. "What do you think we are dumb or something?" She was bothered by the repetition of phrases and chorus in places like the Psalms and historical events. For her, the use of the same words over and over implied that she was being lumped into a group of people who hard a hard time learning or understanding things. She felt she was very competent in learning and didn't need any reminders of what she needed Maybe you've felt the same way. Maybe you grew up with a brother or sister who loved to repeat things. "Copycat" was always an annoying game to play from the backseat. Not only did it drive your brother or sister nuts, but mom and dad had to put up with the mayhem while driving. "Quit repeating yourself" in some sassy tone would be heard over and over again until a parent threatened to pull over and stop the car. Maybe you brought a child up who loved to listen to the same song over and over again until they wore it out. Literally, sometimes. In the age of records and tapes, it was very easy to wind up scratching a vinyl or breaking a cassette. CDs did last longer, but eventually could scratch themselves. In this digital age of streaming media you listen to the same some over and over again with the simple click of a mouse or tap of a button on your phone. At the short of it, repetition can be a problem when approached the wrong way. The long of it is that repetition is necessary and even beneficial when we are in the process of learning. 

Say It Again

The importance of repetition cannot be understated. In fact, it should be repeated that repetition is an essential learning aid. It allows a conscious skill to transfer into one’s subconscious, freeing up working memory and allowing for further skills learning (“The Power of Repetition”, 2016).

A key thing to remember about repetition is that perfect practice is what makes perfect — not just practice. Performing tasks repetitively and correctly is what helps the skills learned from those tasks set in (“The Power of Repetition”, 2016).

And while yes, repetition may seem boring, the old adage “practice makes perfect” shows how beneficial this training method can be—especially in the fitness world. A repetition training program benefits your mind and body in a variety of ways. If you’ve ever worked out with a personal trainer or taken a exercise class, then you’re already familiar with sets and repetitions. A repetition, or “rep,” is one complete exercise movement while a “set” is a group of consecutive reps. So, three sets of fifteen reps looks like 15 bicep curls, rest for 30 seconds, 15 bicep curls, rest for 30 seconds, 15 bicep curls. 

Some additional benefits of repetition when it comes to physical improvements:

Heightens Concentration
Take time to truly focus on what you’re doing—no more going through the motions. Be slow and precise as you work your way through each set or interval.

Improves Motor Skills
Performing the same exercise repeatedly allows you to fine tune your movements and master the basics. Repetition of a specific movement invokes muscle memory. In the same vein, you can train for a specific sport or goal by monitoring your weights and repetition in relation to your tennis swing, layup form, or swim stroke.

Optimizes Performance Tracking
Over time, as you repeat, your performance during each set will improve. Track your progression to see how your body completes each movement throughout the week and measure your time, fatigue, and weight to see improvements. 

Aids Understanding of Your Body
Some workouts are better than others. By following a repetition training program, you will easily be able to identify when you’re in a mental slump versus when you’re actually having a bad training day. Listen to your body; know when you need to rest and when you can push harder.

This idea of repeating what we are doing to gain more have a better outlook is one that doesn't escape a person, like your local farmer. In your farm’s case, the repetition needs to happen in your fields, within nutrition and feeding, and while executing transition cow and reproductive protocols. In each of these areas, there have been found several situations where nickels, dimes, and quarters in margin per hundredweight are uncovered. Beginning with your acres at the start of the season or the fall prior, soil sampling and analyses give you and your agronomist an idea of what fertility boost your soil needs to deliver on both yield and quality the following season. The interaction between fertility and quality will be better understood in the months and years to come; however, fertility recommendations to optimize yield are more. John Goeser from the University of Wisconsin-Madison would suggest that After crops are in storage, many often rely upon a single nutrition analysis to make a decision or gauge the entire crop’s quality. In this case, with hundreds to thousands of tons in the silo, using a single forage analysis is like stepping up to the weight bar and doing a single repetition and expecting to be strong. Working with forward-thinking dairies that sample their forages up to several times per week, we’re learning that forages are far more variable than we’ve understood in the past 20 years.

One More Time

The reality is that repetition has been a key tool used by writers and thinkers for thousands of years. Perhaps the most famous example in the past century was the "I Have a Dream" speech from Martin Luther King, Jr. Look at this excerpt to see what I mean: 

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today!  

Today, repetition is more popular than ever thanks to the rise of marketing campaigns. When I say "I'm lovin' it" or "Just do ​it," for example, you know exactly what I mean. (Nike and McDonald's know exactly what they are doing.) We refer to this as branding or advertising, but it's really just a concentrated form of repetition. Hearing the same thing over and over helps you remember it and can build associations with a product or idea.

 More Of The Same

John actually creates his own little sonnet here focusing on people in all age groups with this repetitive lineup. I thought for sure he had to be referencing some Old Testament wording, but there's no footnotes about that. This is purely inspiration based on speaking to people in many stages of their spiritual development. The older men, the fathers, would have been raised in such a way as to learn and remember what they needed to know about God. The young men and children would be on their way being educated about what it meant to walk in the faith. 

Hearing that they are strong and dedicated and forgiven and then hearing it again is a good way to embed those themes into their minds and make sure they remember. Our girls who played piano this morning all did wonderfully. How long did they all practice to get to this point? How many times did they work with that piece that was played today? Any musician knows the importance of repeating the process of notes and fingers and keys and chords until it becomes muscle memory. The same goes for the spiritual as well. We study and learn and repeat the scripture readings over months and years. How many of you follow a yearly guide thru the Bible. And, next year, you start over. And, you repeat the process. The next time around we hear something we missed the last time. Hopefully we retain more and remember what we need to help us stay in the light and follow our Lord. 

The power of repetition