The power of repetition
“Use not vain repetitions …”
— Matthew 6:7 (KJV)
One of my grandsons is struggling with searching for a job. He’s getting tired of placing applications and getting turned down.
As I pondered this cycle and prayed about what to write this week, I thought about repetition.
Jesus mentioned in the Bible not to heap up vain repetitions. It made me wonder if repetition was bad.
Then I realized, like most things, repetition can be a confusing issue. It can serve the purpose of good or evil (vain), depending how we use it. We can view our repetitious tasks as productive or mundane.
The amazing side of repetition is that it’s one of God’s universal laws of life. Like gravity or oxygen, we can’t exist without it. Everything we learn in life comes through repeating it over and over.
We learn to walk from a series of the same movements over and over. And as we advance into our school years, repetition is the way we study, learn and get proficient. We learn new jobs by repetitious actions. And, every year, each season repeats its cycle. So, repetition can’t be all that bad.
Knowing this, I believe Jesus wasn’t saying repetition was bad. Rather, he was pointing out that we needed to do it with some meaning behind it.
A research team at the University of Wisconsin noted the act of repeating something reveals more positive brain wave activity, showing it makes us more peaceful and joyful as we become familiar with the tasks.
Knowing Jesus is all about joy and peace, I believe it’s why he instructed us to do things from our hearts, not just our heads.
Understanding the cycle of repetition and the purpose it can serve can help us change our attitudes from vain and boring to meaningful. Even in the midst of a mundane daily task, like many in our homes or jobs, we can look at the purpose the task serves and the outcome it brings.
We are creatures of habit, and sometimes the mundane activities of daily life can lock us into our comfort zones. But if we remember any new habit begins and maintains with repetition, we can practice mindfulness and be happier in our work and daily routines.
• Annettee Budzban is a Christian author, speaker, life coach, and writing coach and nurse. She can be contacted at annetteebudzban@aol.com