Practice makes perfect!

Practice makes perfect. 

Today I was reading an advertisement from a photographer who was talking about taking the perfect picture.  (Me, being a photographer, or at least enjoying it, couldn't resist seeing what he had to say.)
He brought up the subject matter of a figure skater.  And how it really is difficult to see the perfection in the performance, when the skate perfectly hits the ice without flaw time and time again.  And it looks like it took little effort by the skater.  But, if you see the skater practice, and fumble and fall time and time again, it is then you can appreciate the pain staking perfection seen in this beautiful art of figure skating!  I personally enjoy and appreciate figure skating!

I wonder if this is how God sees us as we walk out our salvation?  As we read His word, as we pray to Him, as we do our best in keeping His principles and commandments, yet we struggle and fall, falling far short of perfection.  He knows, He feels, and He sees the walk, the practice and the perfection through Christ.  Because Christ is our Coach!

There are rules in every sport and even in every day life.  There are rules for eating, health, driving, learning, practicing, teaching etc.  If we follow these rules, and practice them, life can flow smoothly.  The same goes for figure skating or any sport, as you follow the rules, and you are consistent (practice) and have faith (confidence).  You are able to perform at a much higher level.  Maybe even the Olympics?

We can't just go out and perform a brilliant dance on the ice of life with the fragile piece of metal under our skate (shoe)?  We can't expect to fly in the air and land flawlessly without hours and hours of practice?  And we can't achieve anything without a goal, or without a focus!

As a follower of Christ, it is He that should be my focus!  Why, because without my focus on Him, I can do nothing.  "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."  John 15:5

What is the goal of the skater in order to conduct a perfect performance?  It is concentrating on the rules of skating and applying them to the action of skating.  I think the same thing goes for our daily walk with Christ.  He gave us commandments and principles to live by, if we apply them to our life our walking out salvation becomes fruitful!  Philippians 2:12  "So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 13for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.…"

How often do we want to take the easy way out? Though Christ fulfilled the law, He didn't take it away!  I think it is much easier for us to let someone else do the practice.  Yes, Yeshua - go before me and conduct practice.  It is He that is our spiritual coach!  The teacher cannot teach, if the student doesn't show up!  What do you think will happen the day of judgement, if we only talk about the teacher, but never show up to practice what He has to teach?  So, if I am a skater and I tell a friend of mine to go and practice for me, or I constantly talk about the great coach, but don't show up for practice, what do you think would happen to my performance on the day I am to perform at the Olympics?  What do you think God will think on the day of judgment if we have only looked at Christ, possibly talked about Christ but didn't really practice or follow Christ in His walk??  A skater cannot have faith in his skills without practicing the art of skating!  He/She will not reach the Olympics without having a Coach (A person that has walked the walk before them and knows the principals of perfection.)  This is who Christ is for us!  He is our Coach, our deliverer.  It is He who has walked before us and without him we cannot perform.  It is having faith in Him and what he teaches (His commandments and principals) that gives us life!  But the only way it works personally, is if we apply what He teaches to our lives (His commandments and principals.)  If a skater only listens to the coach and never applies the principals to the action of skating, then nothing will ever happen.  He/She will not be able to skate.  Something to think about!   

 

Romans 6:15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 
Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 

Romans 3:30 Seeing one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcised through faith. 
31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law. 
Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole of man. 

Matthew 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 

19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach , the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Help me Yeshua to be a better student, help me to show up and to practice your precepts and then apply then to my life.  Let your light and teaching show through me in my actions, so I can be a light for you.  "In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness apprehended it not." "That was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." John 1:4, 5, R. V., 

Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the Lord your God. And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the Lord which sanctify you. Lev. 20:7, 8