“O God, thou art my God, I seek thee, my soul thirsts for thee; my flesh faints for thee, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” -Psalm 63:1
I love the guitar. It is an amazing instrument. I love listening to the great guitar players and singers as they practice their craft. The guitar makes beautiful music that is pleasing to my ear. This is why I started playing guitar. I have always loved to sing and wanted to be able to play an instrument that could accompany that love.
I was in college when I got my first guitar. I was so excited start playing. I wanted to jump on a stage right away, to play and sing just like my favorite entertainers. The only hold up for my debut was my inability to make my fingers move the way the needed to move in order to make a chord. It took a day or two, until I learned how to hold my left hand out from the fret board and place my fingers on the right strings to make one chord. That was just one chord. The easiest of songs require at least three chords and that does not even include learning how to move my fingers back and forth between chords in a smooth transition. Sadly, before I could stand on stage and play, I was going to need to practice. My hands would require training, molding and shaping.
Our faith is the same way. Have you ever wanted to pray more? Have you had a goal of reading the Bible more frequently? How about adding fasting to your spiritual practice? I often hear people say that feel like they should read more and spend more time in prayer, but they just can’t seem to make it happen. Much like learning a new instrument these spiritual practices take practice.
Maybe you are like me and you want to jump right to the performance without the practice. I confess, I want the joy that comes with the results of disciplined practice without putting in the effort. Whether it is with my guitar or my relationship with Christ, I often neglect to put in the necessary practice to develop the ability to do more and experience the greater joy that comes from a well-developed skill. The great musicians and the great spiritual giants all have one thing in common; they are willing to practice their craft. Whether you are starting out learning the first chord or you have been reading the Bible all of your life, practice increases our ability and make the joy of our passion come to life. Richard Foster says in his great book, Celebration of Discipline, “Joy is the keynote of all discipline.” When we practice, when we are determined and discipline we truly will find the joy of a growing relationship with God and that is something that we will not regret.
Rev. Keith King, Online Campus Pastor
