* Practice Makes Perfect

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4:8-9 NLT

Have you ever driven down an old dirt road that was full of ruts - some of them so deep you thought they could serve Chinese take-out in them? You might have wanted to go one way, but the ruts took you their way. It's difficult to maneuver out of deep ruts, but it's not impossible.

Did you know that ruts are a good analogy for how life patterns and habits form paths in our brains? Tasting a new food - learning a new language - new exercises - all new things form a type of memory rut in our brain. And each time we repeat the new thing, the deeper the rut is formed in our brain. 

Do you remember the first time you parked in front of a typewriter (dating myself) or keyboard? Did the layout of the alphabet make any sense to you at all? Of course not, but now we type without even thinking about where the letters are. Your fingers know because the paths have been cut deep into your brain through all those timed tests and hours of practice. Keystrokes that were once unfamiliar and not comfortable. They don't happen easily unless we practice. We can accomplish some level of skill with most things that we practice.

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to grouse, gripe and grumble? Carp, complain and criticize? Sometimes it's so stinking easy that you catch yourself in the middle of doing it before you even realize you started. I hate it when that happens. Wouldn't it be just as easy to look for the good in something rather than the bad? Wouldn't it be just as easy to smile as smirk? Wouldn't it be easier to love our neighbors as ourselves if we looked for gifts instead of guilt? If we made a practice of giving instead of goading? Oh, I know, I know... that's HARD! All things that are unfamiliar are not comfortable - they don't happen easily unless we practice... It's difficult to maneuver out of deep ruts, but it's not impossible. We can even form new ones when we wet the soil. 

Practice mercy. Practice kindness. Let's wet the soil of our rutted souls with the water of the Word of God so we may go in a new direction. According to Galatians 5:22-24, Practice producing the gifts of the Holy Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.

Yessiree, practice makes perfect. Are you ready? And a one and a two...

Prayer:

Father,

         Your Word tells us we have the mind of Christ. Help us to fix our thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Cause us to think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Remind us to keep putting into practice all we've learned and received from You—everything we've heard from Your Son and have seen Him do, so that we may dwell in Your peace.  In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen