What are You Practicing?

What are you Practicing?

Mary Ann Wray

 

 

 

A Life Analogy…

“Finally,  believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart]. The things which you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things [in daily life], and the God [who is the source] of peace and well-being will be with you.”

Philippians  4: 8 & 9

Physicians study a long time to learn about their trade, but when the time comes to actually begin practicing medicine, that is what they do - they practice it. That means they are not all knowing and can make mistakes. What it does suggest is that to the best of their ability they strive to help and heal others. Of course, there are those who have been sued for malpractice. The reasons could be varied such as carelessness, negligence, perhaps even greediness.

In Philippians 4: 8-9 Paul gives us some explicit instructions about how to practice our Christianity. The word practice (prasso in greek) means to exercise, to be busy with, carry-on, undertake, to do, accomplish, perform, to commit, and to perpetrate.

One has to admit, that this is quite a lofty list of virtues and paints a picture of an ideal Christian. To be honest, I fall short of these things many times. But that should not mean that I give up or stop practicing them. I certainly don’t want to be accused of malpractice i.e., hypocrisy, by saying I am a Christian but have none of these characteristics working in my life, causing damage to the name of Jesus, and perhaps even hurting others through negligence and a poor witness.

These are things we should all strive for as followers of Christ, but realistically, as long as we are in our mortal bodies, we will wrestle against powers and principalities set against the Lord, as well as our own fleshly appetites. 

Perhaps this is the reason why the apostle Paul admonishes us to be filled with the spirit continually. It’s a daily decision and a daily discipline (Ephesians 5: 19-21)