PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT!

But What Are We To Practice?

As you go out to the field everyday to practice the mechanics of both the offensive and defensive skills of softball, do you ever think about all of the hours you put into making your "game" better? In order to be the best athlete possible, you have to be disciplined…disciplined to pre-season workouts, disciplined to giving 100% at practice, disciplined to practicing the mental strategies of the game, and much more!! You must train your body to react to the ball, and will win or lose games depending on how well (or poorly) you and your teammates execute the plays.

What are we to "practice" as Christians?

While we discipline ourselves as athletes in the physical and mental realms, the apostle Paul gives us instructions for discipline as a spiritual person. Let’s take a closer look at a few of his words to us regarding discipline.  Read:

1 Corinthians 9:24-27,

Philippians 3:13-14, and

1 Timothy 4:7-8

We are to train ourselves spiritually similarly to that of training ourselves physically. But before looking at what areas we are to practice, we must first be reminded that it is only when we are made brand new (2 Corinthians 5:17 and Titus 3:4-7) by His power that we have the strength by His power to be able to train in becoming more like Christ. In other words, we cannot live lives that please God if we are not saved by grace and living by grace (giving Him the credit for our good works) daily (Ephesians 2:8-10)!!

 

Two areas God calls us train ourselves in are holiness and godliness (Romans 12:1-2, 1 Thessalonians 4:7-8, Hebrews 12:14, 1 Peter 1:13-16, 1 John 2:15-17). In order for these to become habits in our daily lives, we need to repetitively practice them. As in sports, this training not only helps us refine what is correct in our skills, but also allows us to break the bad habits we’ve developed or eliminate an activity from our regular habits. And it’s no different for us as Christians!! To become more like Jesus in these areas, we are to TRAIN ourselves to develop certain habits and eliminate the things in our lives that will not help us develop habits of holiness and godliness (i.e. certain music or movies, etc.).

If we are to run this race to win, we need to learn self-control as we bring our bodies into subjection from the things that want to deter us from living for Jesus Christ!! We must make our intake of the Holy Word of God a priority in our life so that God can mold us. He desires to speak to us through His Word so that He can conform our lives into the image He desires us to be, rather than that of which the world is trying to get us to be (Romans 12:1,2; 1 John 2:15-17)!!

Remember that God is NOT through with us, and He desires to give us abundant life while we are HERE on earth (Philippians 1:6 and John 10:10). But if we are not being disciplined to spend time with Him and allowing Him to rid our lives of the things that do not honor Him, we will not be able to effectively "train" for godliness!!

May we put more effort into our relationship with Him and His desire for us to be Christ-like than we do into being better athletes, etc.! His Plan for us is far better than we can imagine!! Let us show our love for Him by walking as He did and obeying His desires for us to be holy and set apart from the ways of the world (1 John 2:6,15-17, 3:18 and 2 John 6)!

* Two good books concerning holiness and godliness are "Pursuit of Holiness" and "Practice of Godliness"…both by Jerry Bridges!!