Practice Makes Perfect

1 John 3:7-10 (NASB)

 

At one time, I decided I wanted to be a better tennis player.  I had never taken any lessons – I was basically self-taught.  So, I signed up for a class at OSU.  As you could imagine, I had developed some bad habits that kept me from improving my game, especially my backhand.  The instructor set up a pitching machine across the net from me, aiming it to spit out balls to my left side.  Week after week the pitching machine and I had a date on the court, repeating good backhand form – until my swing became second-nature. 

In the passage for today, John contrasts two kinds of practices: practicing righteousness and practicing sinning.  We are either God’s children or the devil’s, and we show it by what we practice.  We get better at what we repeat.  If we keep repeating a sin-pattern, such as lying, we get “good” at it, it becomes a habit.  

 

And, likewise, if we belong to God, we will practice righteousness and love, and we will forsake the practice of sin.  It becomes a lifestyle of acting in accordance with God’s will.  Of course, we will sin – because that’s who we are by nature, but, according to John, we will show to whom we belong, God or Satan, by how we strive to follow either righteousness or sin.

 

In 1Tim 6:11, Paul commends Timothy to “…pursue righteousness…,” and he sees scripture as essential for training Christians in righteousness (2 Tim 3:16).  Just as I pursued training to become skilled at tennis, so we as Christians must pursue God’s word, so that we may be “…equipped for every good work (2 Tim 3:17).”

 

Question:  Is it obvious by what behaviors I practice that I am God’s child?

 

Dear Lord, thank you that because of Christ’s redemptive work, You already count me as righteous.  But, please keep me from being deceived into thinking that I may live with habitual sins and still be seen as belonging to You.  Keep me growing in Your word, and give me Your strength to pursue righteousness – that I may be equipped for service, thus making it obvious to those around me that I am Your child.  For Jesus’ sake, Amen.

Training to be Godly

Watching my grandchildren a few months ago reminded me of an important lesson I learned many years ago when Brenda and I raised our kids. If you tell kids not to do something, they most likely will stop, but inevitably, they will find something else to do that you don’t want them doing. On the other hand, giving them something fun to do almost always keeps them from doing something they shouldn’t.

Providing coloring books is surely better than having them pull the pots and pans out of the cupboards!

Today’s reading is once again 1 Timothy 4. St. Paul is giving advice to Timothy, interim pastor of the church at Ephesus.  Let’s focus on verses 7b and 8, “rather, train yourself to be Godly. For physical training is of some value, but Godliness has value for all things.”

Paul is telling Timothy to be Godly, and that this takes discipline. Athletes train for their respective sport, but how does one train to be Godly?

An obvious answer is “Word and Sacraments.” A football player studies the playbook and eats the right foods to strengthen his body. Likewise, studying God’s Word tells us what it means to be Godly and taking Communion strengthens us spiritually.

Another answer is to keep the 10 Commandments, an impossibility. We can try, but for the most part, these tell us what not to do, not what to do. In football, there is a list of penalties that tell the players what not to do. A team can have no penalties and still lose the game. Players must also focus on what they are “to do.” So must we.

Jesus is our role model for living. Like a good parent,  God gives us things “to do.” We are to care for each other, worship God and share the Gospel. These are better than coloring books, and they sure keep us from making a mess out of the pots and pans!

Training to be Godly requires discipline. We must know what it means to be Godly.  There are things we are not to do. Perhaps most importantly, there are things we are to do.

How do you train to be Godly?