Discerning Hearts Ministry
  • Blog
    • Previous Posts
  • Home
  • About
    • Founder
    • Contact Information >
      • Connecting
    • Doctrinal Statement
    • Foundation
    • Values & Vision
  • Resources
    • Seminars & Workshops
    • Ellen Krahn
    • NextLEVEL Leadership
    • Following Jesus

 

Practice Makes Perfect – or at least Proficiency

1/1/2014

2 Comments

 
Picture
Memories come at the most unexpected times, in the most unexpected places.  My husband and I were shopping at our downtown farmers’ market recently.  Two musicians playing their cellos were entertaining the holiday shoppers.

  Hearing these musicians brought back memories of the time I learned to play the cello.  I can remember the first time I held that cello in position.  It felt as if the cello belonged there. I felt as if the cello and I were one.  Over the next few years, as I practiced and gained some skill, I had the joy of making music with others as we played together in our junior high school orchestra.  I was chosen to be part of the district orchestra, and from that group I was chosen to be part of a smaller ensemble that provided the music for a theatrical presentation of Aladdin at the Detroit Institute of Arts. 

As I grew older, I allowed new interests to gain importance and my practice time on the cello began to fall by the wayside.  Granted, I took every opportunity I was given to play my instrument, but the concentrated practice times became much less important to me.  I failed to challenge myself to develop my skills, and I depended solely on the beginner’s skills I had learned up to that point. 

It has now been years since I have touched my cello.  I still own it, but it is tucked away in a closet.  There are times when I long to play it again, but I think I fear realizing how poor my skills have become.  It is much easier for me to think back on what was, rather than take the time to develop my skills to what could be.   

My spiritual journey has the potential to become like my musical journey.  If I am not careful, I will become complacent and content to depend upon the things I learned when I began to follow Jesus Christ. Those truths are still important and essential to living for Jesus.  But, as scripture says, they are the milk that is given to newborn babies.  Milk is all that newborns are able to digest. 

Understanding God’s Word is like learning to play an instrument, or mastering any other skill.  It takes time, and study.  I began with the essentials, the things that were easy to digest and understand.  However, I needed to move on from there.  As children grow and develop they are able to digest more complicated food.  As a person moves to the teenage years and then on to an adult, their tastes mature and develop so that they are able to enjoy a wide variety of foods.  To become healthy adults we must take in more complex foods.  As children of God we need to move on from the first truths we learned from God’s Word, to more complex matters of faith.

“But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?” 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 (ESV)   [Also see)] Hebrews 5:11 - 14 (ESV)

To grow in Christ we need to read God’s Word daily, and listen carefully. We need to ask for understanding, accept what God’s Word is saying, and then we need to obey it.  Neglecting to do any of these will stunt growth in Christ.  Habitual neglect of the spiritual disciplines is tantamount to “tucking the cello in the closet.” This faith ‘within self-imposed dark walls’ makes it impossible to discern God’s voice speaking during the everyday situations of life.

“My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. Proverbs 2:1–5 (ESV)  

2 Comments
Linda
1/1/2014 02:25:36 am

There is so much truth packed into these words Debi and I can totally relate! It corresponds so much to me and my flute etc. It's so much easier to depend on remedial skills and learning than to put the effort and discipline into developing those skills as a flutist and also into deepening my relationship with Christ, even though the desire is there. I really appreciate your blog and May God bless the writing of your book.

Reply
Don
1/1/2014 02:27:39 am

Great post mom!

This is a strong encouragement for me to pick up my Bible and guitar.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Debi Snider... more

    Go here to sign up for New Blog Notifications.

    Archives

    December 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    May 2021
    February 2021
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    December 2019
    April 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    September 2016
    May 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013

    Categories

    All
    Attitude
    Brave
    Christmas
    Courage
    Creation
    Despair
    Discipline
    Family
    Following Jesus
    Freedom
    Gifts
    Gladness
    Goals And Aspirations
    Hope
    Liberty
    Marriage
    Memories
    Mentoring
    Praise
    Prayer
    Promised Messiah
    Quiet Time
    Sacrifice
    Sharing The Gospel
    The Mind Of Christ
    Valentines
    Wise Men From The East

    RSS Feed

Connect with Debi
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Blog
    • Previous Posts
  • Home
  • About
    • Founder
    • Contact Information >
      • Connecting
    • Doctrinal Statement
    • Foundation
    • Values & Vision
  • Resources
    • Seminars & Workshops
    • Ellen Krahn
    • NextLEVEL Leadership
    • Following Jesus