Practice, Practice, Practice

 

We have all heard the statement “Practice Makes Perfect.” I don’t know about you, but I never really liked hearing this statement. The reason I didn’t like it was because it usually meant I had to work harder and put more effort into becoming better. This statement has become so common that many times we just dismiss it. However, if we put our pride aside, there is great truth to these words. Let’s put ourselves aside for a minute and really consider these words. We all know that practicing is going to make us better. But why is it so important to practice? For an athlete, this is how one gets stronger, faster, and better in a sport. For a musician, this is how one learns what an instrument can do, how to play it, how to produce the correct sounds, and perform with it in a flawless fashion. But can this statement apply to Christians? Of course it can!

Let’s not be deceived, Christianity is something that must be practiced and fine-tuned. We cannot take a brand-new Christian and expect him to know all the commands of the Bible and follow them perfectly. Not a single one of us, no matter how long we have been Christians, is able to do that. Therefore, we can always use more practice. Practice is how we become more familiar with Scripture. Practice is how we become better members, teachers, preachers, deacons, elders, etc. Practice is how we become better at obeying God’s commands while resisting the sinful desires each of us have. Arthur Rubinstein, the great musician had this to say about practice: “If I omit practice one day, I notice it; if two days, my friends notice it; if three days, the public notices it.”

[Hebrews 4:13] If one stops practicing his Christianity, he will notice first, then his friends and family will notice, and eventually everyone will notice. Even more importantly though, God will notice immediately.

The church is not made up of people who believe they are better than others, but rather it’s made up of those who realize they should be better than they are and must continually strive to do better always. The church is not made up of perfect people, but people who realize they are following a perfect Lord and a perfect law and therefore must do the very best they can. The church is not made up of people who never make mistakes, but those who often acknowledge their mistakes and then forsake them. Never must we seek to justify them or continually make the same mistakes over and over again. The church is not trying to withdraw from everyone but rather to draw everyone into its fellowship and love – those who are willing to walk in the light where God the Father and Christ the Son are found. The church is not trying to set up arbitrary rules to hinder anyone but rather to show the rule of Christ which helps everyone. The church is not trying to take the joy out of life but rather is trying to put real joy into every life it touches. The church is not trying to make one feel ugly but rather it is trying to instill the beauty of holiness in your life. The church is not trying to become the master of one’s life but trying to help you to master yourself. The church is not trying to rob you of your life’s priorities but rather trying to get you to put your priorities of life in order. The church is not trying to separate you from your money; but rather is trying to keep your money from separating you from God.

This life is about seeking God and serving Him (Mathew 6:33; 4:10; 22:37). May we never stop practicing and becoming greater people for the Lord (Ecclesiastes 9:9-10). Let’s think seriously about the apostle Paul’s words recorded in 1 Timothy 4:7, “But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness.” It’s time to hit the spiritual gym! The stronger and wiser we are in God’s Word the better our life becomes.