by Rev Don Schatz

An Analogy for the Christ-Life?

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.  They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” 
I Corinthians 9:25  New International Version

A February trip to Phoenix afforded the opportunity to visit the Cactus League home of the Seattle Mariners.  It was late in the day and everything was closed up.  The team was in the first week of Spring Training and I took a picture to send to my family.  After a rainy Pacific Northwest winter, I am ready for Spring.  The promise of Spring Baseball brings the promise of sun and less-soggy socks!

As I write, it is also the first week of ‘Spring’ Practice for my college alma mater’s football team.  Athletes spend most of their time practicing, and very little of their time actually playing the games.

I am tempted to say that too often Christians enter the daily ‘game’ of faith without a lot of practice.  Day in, day out, day after day…it’s the same.

Brother Lawrence defined prayer as “Practicing God’s presence.”  Faith in action is practicing what we believe, that God is as present to me as my wife, and family, and as I practice their presence by engaging in conversation, so I practice God’s presence by engaging in conversation with him.  Sometimes I use words, speaking to him out loud, sometimes I don’t, but I still practice.

In this spiritual analogy, practice doesn’t make perfect.  It doesn’t need to.  Jesus did that for us.  However, practicing faith, whether by prayer, song, worship, helping the neighbor, or loving the Christian brother and sister aims one’s life at the heart of God.  That picture of being aimed at God’s heart is behind the New Testament word we often translate as ‘perfect’.

Today, practice faith!  Don’t aim for perfection.  Celebrate life in Jesus by intentionally aiming your Christ-life at the Father’s heart.  This Lenten work bears fruit by creating a pattern not just for 40 days, but for Life!

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, CO