10,000 hours. That’s how many hours of practice you need to become a master a task, according to Malcom Gladwell. What do you want to master?
Let’s say you want to learn to play the piano. You commit to one hour, every day, learning and practicing your new craft. If you listen to Gladwell, one hour per day will take you 27 years to master it.
I’m discouraged before I start.
Its discouraging because I want the result and it takes too long to get it. That’s what I don’t like about Gladwell’s formula. It puts all the emphasis on the end goal, but nothing on the beginning. Truth is, joy starts the moment you decide to play.
At that moment, when you start playing, you are a piano player.
New players are vulnerable. To help, experts will criticize, judge and scrutinize. The new student quickly becomes discouraged. The joy is gone.
New Christians struggle with the same issues. Experts say that believing isn’t enough. You must be baptized, circumcised, read your bible, pray every day, stop drinking, never smoke again. You name it. New believers are discouraged by the rules, every day.
Paul steps in to remind us that its none of those things that save us. In fact, the moment a new believer decides, grace steps in. God is glorified. They may not be the prettiest example of a Christian, but to God, they look just like you and I.
He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. Now then, why are you testing God by putting a yoke on the disciples’ necks that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus in the same way they are.” Acts 15:9-11 (CSB)