Practice
You've heard of the old saying, "practice makes perfect?" Well, it's true (in case you were wondering). The more you do something the better you get at it.
Great athletes are not just born that good. They have had to spend thousands of hours practicing, repeating the same moves over and over again until they become second nature. Every training session receives the same effort as if it was game day.
This same principle applies to our walk with God.
Practice what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and model your way of living on it, and the God of peace (of untroubled, undisturbed well-being) will be with you.
Phil. 4:9 Amplified
Practice is important. Without practice, we cannot improve. God does not expect perfection from us but He does want us to keep at it. Even when we mess up, God wants us to get back up and try again.
The change from our old way of living and thinking requires us to let go of all the things that hold us back like unforgiveness, resentment, pride, and negative thoughts about ourselves. In letting go of the old, we make room for the new and while we now have room for them, the new ways will feel akward and almost unnatural. The more we practice them though, the more familiar they become.
We practice living as the new person we are in Christ by replacing those old things with things like love, patience, self-control and the daily renewal of our mind with the Word. When you read your Bible and seek God, He will show you the verses of scripture that will help you on your way. It's up to you to take them and really make them yours.
Let's look at love for an example. We can practice living comfortably in God's love by refusing to see or think of ourselves based on how people treat us or by what they say about us. We can choose instead to repeat to ourselves over and over again, "God loves me" and live each day based only on that truth.
The practice of reminding ourselves of who we really are in Christ brings peace and strength into our lives and allows us to step out and do things we never thought we could do.
One of the biggest breakthroughs in my life came when I really "got it" that God loves me just the way I am with all my weaknesses and strengths and there is nothing (NOTHING) that can change that.
Forgiveness is another area we can practice in that has huge rewards (see the series of posts on forgiveness from earlier this year).
What areas do you need to practice in? What's stopping you?
Every day is a practice day until Jesus comes back.
Heidirn
Great athletes are not just born that good. They have had to spend thousands of hours practicing, repeating the same moves over and over again until they become second nature. Every training session receives the same effort as if it was game day.
This same principle applies to our walk with God.
Practice what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and model your way of living on it, and the God of peace (of untroubled, undisturbed well-being) will be with you.
Phil. 4:9 Amplified
Practice is important. Without practice, we cannot improve. God does not expect perfection from us but He does want us to keep at it. Even when we mess up, God wants us to get back up and try again.
The change from our old way of living and thinking requires us to let go of all the things that hold us back like unforgiveness, resentment, pride, and negative thoughts about ourselves. In letting go of the old, we make room for the new and while we now have room for them, the new ways will feel akward and almost unnatural. The more we practice them though, the more familiar they become.
We practice living as the new person we are in Christ by replacing those old things with things like love, patience, self-control and the daily renewal of our mind with the Word. When you read your Bible and seek God, He will show you the verses of scripture that will help you on your way. It's up to you to take them and really make them yours.
Let's look at love for an example. We can practice living comfortably in God's love by refusing to see or think of ourselves based on how people treat us or by what they say about us. We can choose instead to repeat to ourselves over and over again, "God loves me" and live each day based only on that truth.
The practice of reminding ourselves of who we really are in Christ brings peace and strength into our lives and allows us to step out and do things we never thought we could do.
One of the biggest breakthroughs in my life came when I really "got it" that God loves me just the way I am with all my weaknesses and strengths and there is nothing (NOTHING) that can change that.
Forgiveness is another area we can practice in that has huge rewards (see the series of posts on forgiveness from earlier this year).
What areas do you need to practice in? What's stopping you?
Every day is a practice day until Jesus comes back.
Heidirn
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