Practice Makes Permanent

We've all heard it. The old adage that says that “practice makes perfect.” Some, however, would like to argue that instead, practice makes permanent. Either way, practice is necessary in order to change old habits and develop new ones. In his book Respectable Sins, Bridges talks about the fact that we all have a tendency toward being ungodly. He describes ungodliness as “living one's everyday life with little or no thought of God, or of God's will, or of God's glory, or of one's dependence on God” (54). Bridges asks a question that we all should be asking: “how can we become more godly in our daily lives?” (59). His answer is simple. We must practice godliness. He supports this idea by quoting a portion of 1 Timothy 4:7, which instructs us to “discipline [ourselves] for the purpose of godliness” (NASB). The version referenced by Bridges uses the word “train” instead of “discipline.” These words are closely related, and both are applicable to the developing habits of godliness. A recent article in the Derby Telegraph (http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/passion-Derby-ice-skater-aims-Winter-Olympics/story-26022757-detail/story.html) reports on a pair of young figure skaters whose goal is to compete in the 2022 Winter Olympics. The training, practice, and discipline necessary to reach this goal is rigorous. It requires daily commitment and sacrifice. For example, according to the article, “TWELVE-year-old Ellie O'Connell is dedicated to ice skating – so much so that she gets up between 3.30am and 4.30am every day to train.” Becoming more godly involves practice, training, and discipline. One way we can increase our godliness is to practice thinking about God, His will, His glory, and our dependence on Him on a daily basis. But we can be encouraged, because practice makes perfect – or at least, it makes permanent.