Craig T. Owens

This is a weekly series with things I’m reading and pondering from Oswald Chambers. You can read the original seed thought here, or type “Thursdays With Oswald” in the search box to read more entries.

Practice, Practice, Practice 

     If we do not go on practicing day by day and week by week, working out what God has worked in, when a crisis comes God’s grace is there right enough, but our nature is not. Our nature has not been brought into line by practice and consequently does not stand by us, and down we go and then we blame God. We must bring our bodily life into line by practicing day by day, hour by hour, moment by moment, then when the crisis comes we shall find not only God’s grace but our own nature will stand by us, and the crisis will pass without any disaster at all, but exactly the opposite will happen, the soul will be built up into a stronger attitude towards God. 

From Biblical Psychology

Allen Iverson (in)famously said, “We’re talking practice. Not a game, not a game, not a game. We’re talking practice.”

Guess what? As Christians, we cannot skip practice.

If we want to be victorious in the big things, we have to practice doing the little, moment-by-moment things right. We cannot just flip a switch and win a victory.

Do you want to be successful? You’ve got to practice!

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 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. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)