"But solid food belongs those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use, have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." Hebrews 5:14. NKJV
Sports people are not a success overnight, they have to practice for a very long time. It is the same with great musicians. The more practice, the more reward and satisfaction. Here, the writer of Hebrews, stresses the importance of practice in order to live the Christian life: 'But solid food, belongs to those who are of full age (Mature), that is, those who by reason of use (Practice).
Ask any musician or sportsperson, and they will admit to many failures as they get used to what they want to be. Also, many will say that they still make mistakes through lack of practice. In a Snooker Tournament, we often hear that the finalists are on the practice tables during the intermission. Why? Because practice makes perfect.
To be successful, a person has to give up many things. While their friends are out having a great time, they may be in the continual mode of practice. Things do not come easy; and there are many failures. But failure is an acceptable part of success. When a person fails, they learn by it and avoid this in the future. We should never receive failure but count our attempts as practice. This way, we're on the road to success.
For many, the Christian life can be a difficult road to walk along. Their intentions may be genuine but then, something crops up or brings distraction and they fail. For some, it can be the eyes - what we look at and view. Job made a comment in Job 31:1, 'I have made a covenant with my eyes, why then should I look upon a young woman?' Now for Job, being a rich man, it could have been viewed as acceptable to add a young woman as a concubine. But he refused to allow his eyes to lust. In the same way, the Christian man or woman needs to be mindful of this. It is so easy to become hooked when lusty images are flashing all over the screens from films and TV. There is a need to avoid this practice because this is a doorway to failure.
We need to practice and process what comes out of our mouths also, together with how we react to certain things that come our way. It is difficult, but then, so is anything that we want success from. Life is not a fairy tale; things are not handed down on a golden platter. To live the Christian life, it take practice and discipline and it is an ongoing process. Never become complacent. It will all be worth it when we walk into the arms of Jesus on that special day. Until then - PRACTICE!
Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard
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