Each Friday my writing stems from a word prompt. Five minutes, one word prompt. The prompt this week is … Practice.
Practice, according to the dictionary is “to perform or do habitually or usually”.
Upon seeing the word prompt, the saying came to mind: Practice what you preach.
There are so many voices “preaching” nowadays. A quick scroll through Twitter will have any number of people telling us how to be our best, what to do, how to achieve success, and how to be happy.
What should I be practicing?
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24, NIV)
For my life to be lived wisely, I am to be putting God’s Word into practice. We mind needs to be trained to focus on His ways, His thoughts, His desires. Practice means doing the same thing or something every day. Practice is the way to develop or learn a habit, the means by which we become proficient at something.
One of the teachers of the law came and asked Jesus which commandment is the most important one of all. Jesus replied:
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God will all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31, NIV)
May this be what I put into practice in my life every day …
Love God.
Love others.
Today I am joining … Five Minute Friday and Faith On Fire and Fresh Market Friday and Faith ”˜N Friends .
Practicing what I preach is such a good piece of advice. There is no end to that kind of practice.
That’s a good thing to practice everyday – to love God & to love others. x
Yes, love Him and love others. May I practice this even when it’s hard.
That is when we need to practice the most.
xo
Such a great post, Joanne. And I love what you said that Love is what we should be practicing most. Loving God. Loving others. I was talking with my sons this morning about recognizing when sin is trying to enter into our lives. And one of the boys mentioned the importance of prayer and spending time in God’s word. When I keep this practice consistent in my life, I walk more readily and more confidently with Him.
Yeah, I practice what I say;
for me, ’twas open-shut,
but who knew there’d come a day
when it bit me in the butt?
I ruled myself with iron rod
and gave myself no slack;
self-concern would mark me fraud
and mark my words as jack.
Well, now the table’s truly turned
on this astonished thug;
cancer my conceits has burned,
and man, I need a hug!
Live what you say, and live it clean,
just be sure it’s what you mean.
Such an important reminder!