I played trumpet in my high school’s marching band and then again in college. Among all the experiences I’ve had in my life, marching band was unique. A marching band is different from a concert band because you have to march around in synchronicity with all the other band members.

And a marching band is different from other types of synchronized marching, or even dancing, because you have to perform music while you move.

No other activity in my life has required as much focus on where I am and what I’m doing in relation to the other people around me. If I move a little slower or a little faster than the person next to me, everything falls apart. If I don’t turn at the exact right moment, in the exact right direction, and in the exact right way, there will be a major mishap. At best, the effect the band is trying to accomplish will be damaged. At worst, people will collide, fall over, and get hurt. No matter what, the show will be a failure.

So we practiced a lot.

Then there’s the music. We played in large echoing stadiums with thousands of people in attendance. It’s loud. I couldn’t hear the rest of the band, except in delayed echoes, so a unified tempo was difficult to maintain. To keep us all on track musically, we stationed several conductors on the sidelines with bright white gloves keeping time. It was important to watch them while also watching the marchers near to me and the hash marks on the ground.

Again, we practiced a lot. In fact in college, I had to go to marching band practice for two hours every afternoon during the football season. We marched around together in the stadium parking lot learning how to be a marching band.

“If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” (Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭25,‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Living as a follower of Jesus doesn’t just happen either. When I accept Jesus as my Savior, I’m saved. I’m in the band, as it were. But the world around me hasn’t changed. It still wants me to be self-absorbed and greedy. And I haven’t changed either. Not yet.

Learning how to live like a child of God takes a lot of practice. I need to pay very close attention to God’s instructions at all times. I need to listen for His voice and watch where I’m going. I need to be familiar with God’s word so I can discern and ignore the echoes of lies all around me.

With time and practice marching band became easier, more natural, and fun. An orchestrated, well-practiced, and synchronized group became a clever piece of art on the field when seen from the stands. And so it can be with followers of Jesus. We can make the world a more beautiful place now if we all practice being in step with God each day.

Dear God, thank you for giving me the experience of marching band. Thank you for showing me how important it is to pay attention to you at all times. Please forgive the times when I have looked away or stopped listening and have gotten out of step with you.