I have a very dysfunctional affiliation with a foreign language. Spanish keeps calling out for me to pay it some attention. I have a deep desire to have a more fulfilling relationship. I remember listing the goal of learning Spanish a few years ago in an introductory email to the new team of employees I was supervising at the VA hospital. I had high hopes of expanding my linguistic toolbox.

Thirty years ago, I bought a double column Bible thinking the sight of a Bible verse in Spanish beside the English rendering would help me in my goal. Surely buying a VCR tape with Karate Kid in Espanol would get me used to hearing the language and help my quest.

At one point, I started listening to a podcast designed to help me learn Spanish. I did well for the first couple of weeks but then begin to choose other things to listen to on my commute to Denver. I felt guilty because I was betraying my own ambition. Before long I had drifted away from my foreign language studies.

A few years later, my son married a beautiful Venezuelan lady and I thought that would finally be the motivation to learn Spanish. Unfortunately, I just don’t focus enough on the task to “git er done.” I have a desire to learn Spanish but evidently, I am not willing to be disciplined enough to learn and practice when I would rather listen to something else.

It is a basic fact in life that to achieve great things you must put in the time and discipline to train for the goal. In Colorado Springs, an entire campus exists where aspiring Olympic athletes practice and perform their craft. I doubt a single one of them has a practice ethic towards their sport similar to my sporadic attempts to learn Spanish. Unless I truly focus, my ability to speak Spanish will stay at an infantile level. I can try all kinds of gimmicks to try and learn while I multi-task, but until I give it primary attention in my life, I will never be confident enough to order in a Mexican restaurant.

As it goes with learning a foreign language, there are similarities with our spiritual lives. As Christians, we often say a favorite mantra indicating “Jesus is Lord.” I have said it thousands of times, yet I have to do an introspection to determine if I really believe it when I say those words. Am I excited by the things of God? If someone asks me to join a breakfast Bible study at a local restaurant, what is my response? Given a choice between Christian music and secular music, what is my default choice? How faithful am I to have a quiet time with the Lord each day?

Just as I need to draw closer to the Spanish language if I want it to influence my life, so too must I draw close to the things of God if I want my relationship with him to be strengthened. James 4:8 (KJV) states it succinctly, “Draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you.” If we don’t feel close to God in our life, it’s not because of Him. The Lord is as close as you want him to be, just like Spanish is as close as I want it to be in my day to day life. If it is important to me, I will make room for it in my life. Adios!

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Tony “T-Bar” Barnes is a 28-year veteran of the Marine Corps and Air Force. He is also retired from the Department of Veteran Affairs and can be reached at tbarnugget@yahoo.com