Practice
"Practice makes perfect" is a phrase I grew up hearing. No one is born able to do anything perfectly. Ask any Olympic athlete and they will tell you they have spent thousands of hours practicing their particular event. They also spend many hours doing various resistance exercises and stretches in an effort to keep their muscles strong and their joints flexible. Training is always the prerequisite for being good at something.
I am convinced that our time on earth is our training ground. This is where we get to practice being like Christ in preparation for spending eternity with God.
The scribes and Pharisee's sit on Moses' seat [of authority]. So observe and practice all they tell you; but do not do what they do, for they preach, but do not practice.
Matt. 23:2-3 Amplified
Jesus is telling His disciples (and us) to "practice" what they (we) have been taught. He does not expect or demand perfection for He knows we cannot do it. He understands that even though our hearts are willing, our flesh is weak and that on our own, we are unable to do anything.
Sadly, many people miss out on the life Jesus died for us to have because they mistakenly think they have to clean themselves up and get their act together first. That is not God's heart at all. He wants us and all of our messes so that He can reveal the depth, height, width, and length of His relentless love for us.
As a child, my acceptance at home was based on how well I behaved. If I did good then I was included in things but if I messed up, I was isolated and ignored. In other words, I was loved when I did well and I was not loved when I failed. This perception of life kept me chasing perfection and the approval of others through my performance. It also left me broken, confused, lonely and hard hearted.
God is nothing like that. God always loves us - always has and always will. Nothing we say or do can stop Him from loving us. God is with us when we make poor choices (He sees us all the time) and there is nothing we can do that He has not forgiven us for through Christ.
Each of us is on a unique adventure of life that is full of twists, turns, hills, valleys, and mountains. Making mistakes is part of the trip. They are not a surprise to God, nor are they too much for Him to handle. What we see and learn during this part of our journey helps us appreciate the generosity of God as He removes our sin and makes us more like Christ.
Everyday we are given opportunities to practice giving to others what Jesus has given to us - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control (Gal. 5:22).
What did you practice today? I'd love to hear.
Heidirn
I am convinced that our time on earth is our training ground. This is where we get to practice being like Christ in preparation for spending eternity with God.
The scribes and Pharisee's sit on Moses' seat [of authority]. So observe and practice all they tell you; but do not do what they do, for they preach, but do not practice.
Matt. 23:2-3 Amplified
Jesus is telling His disciples (and us) to "practice" what they (we) have been taught. He does not expect or demand perfection for He knows we cannot do it. He understands that even though our hearts are willing, our flesh is weak and that on our own, we are unable to do anything.
Sadly, many people miss out on the life Jesus died for us to have because they mistakenly think they have to clean themselves up and get their act together first. That is not God's heart at all. He wants us and all of our messes so that He can reveal the depth, height, width, and length of His relentless love for us.
As a child, my acceptance at home was based on how well I behaved. If I did good then I was included in things but if I messed up, I was isolated and ignored. In other words, I was loved when I did well and I was not loved when I failed. This perception of life kept me chasing perfection and the approval of others through my performance. It also left me broken, confused, lonely and hard hearted.
God is nothing like that. God always loves us - always has and always will. Nothing we say or do can stop Him from loving us. God is with us when we make poor choices (He sees us all the time) and there is nothing we can do that He has not forgiven us for through Christ.
Each of us is on a unique adventure of life that is full of twists, turns, hills, valleys, and mountains. Making mistakes is part of the trip. They are not a surprise to God, nor are they too much for Him to handle. What we see and learn during this part of our journey helps us appreciate the generosity of God as He removes our sin and makes us more like Christ.
Everyday we are given opportunities to practice giving to others what Jesus has given to us - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control (Gal. 5:22).
What did you practice today? I'd love to hear.
Heidirn
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