Life Ministries

Practice Every Day
Hebrews 12:1-11

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”…“Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined, and everyone undergoes discipline, then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

    I want to begin this section by telling a short, hypothetical, story. This story is about a six year old boy we’ll call Kevin. Kevin decides he wants to play the guitar. His parents sign him up for lessons; and after school each day he sits and strums his guitar, slowly learning the chords. After a while of doing this every day and watching all his buddies play baseball in the park across the street, Kevin soon gets bored, and the discipline of practice becomes drudgery. 
    Now, suppose Kevin is visited by an angel one afternoon during his practice, and is taken in a vision to Carnegie Hall. He sees a guitar virtuoso giving a concert. While usually bored by classical music, Kevin is absolutely astonished by what he sees and hears! The musician’s fingers dance fluidly over the strings with ease and grace. Kevin thinks about how stupid and clunky his hands feel while trying to play even a single chord. But, Kevin is enchanted, and never imagined anyone could play guitar like this! “What do you think?” the angel asks Kevin. All Kevin can say is “WOW”.  The vision vanishes and Kevin is once again sitting on the couch in his living room. “Kevin” says the angel, “The wonderful music you just heard and saw is you in a few years”. Then pointing to the guitar, the angel says “But, you must discipline yourself to practice, practice, practice!”
    Do you think Kevin’s attitude about practice will be different now?  I think it will, as long as he remembers the vision of what he is going to become! “What we will be has not yet been made known.” (1^st John 3:2) When it comes to discipline in the Christian life and lifestyle, many of us feel like Kevin did toward his guitar practice. At first it is fun and even interesting, and we are learning new stuff and trying new things. But, it isn’t long before we become bored and especially tired of the repetition and we figure “as long as we know the basics” that’s all that matters.    
    However, perhaps like Kevin, we need to understand or gain the vision of what we shall be-come! Our scripture says we “shall be like him”. And, verse 3 says that “everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”  If I may put that in my own words, I would say; “If we have seen, and have hope in the vision of what we shall become, it ought to motivate us to practice!”
    Romans 8:29 tells us that “those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed” – (not transformed but conformed, there is a difference) “to the image or likeness of His Son.” This is God’s eternal plan; for us to grow into that likeness. Part of that process is allowing God to “conform” us or shape us as we practice, practice, practice! 
    Let me remind you of something very important about God’s Word. In the Book of Genesis it says that “God spoke” and many things were “created”. Now don’t miss this. It goes on to say that God “formed” man out of the dust of the earth. Man was “formed” by the hands of God into His likeness. Man fell into sin, and that likeness was “deformed”. The rest of the Bible is about God showing us how we can be “conformed” back into His likeness!
    In 1^st. Timothy 4:7  it is explained very clearly. “Discipline yourselves for the purpose of godliness. For physical training is of some value, but godliness” - or Christ-likeness – “has value for both this life and the life to come.” I am talking about the disciplines in life that promote spiritual growth. They are what I would call the “habits” of devotion that have been practiced by people of God for over 2000 years. We can think of it this way; there is little value in practicing chords on the guitar apart from the purpose of playing music. There is also little value in practicing Christianity apart from the purpose of Christ-likeness.