There are few and far between who practice things anymore, there is more of a "Just do it now coz you might not get to do it again" attitude. I am speaking from a place of struggle & have had to learn to make the switch in my life.
Think about when people diet, instead of getting ourselves ready in the few days before by implementing good habits to lead into the diet well, we gorge on bad foods because we aren't going to eat them for a while. That makes the sugar withdrawals worse and causes us to crash harder than we would have if we hadn't stuffed our face. We make things so much more difficult for ourselves!
Or think about when we are single, we do things that we say we wouldn't do when we get married because "One day I'll be married and won't be able to do this" as though it's a prison sentence and a place of restriction.
Or think about when we are single, we do things that we say we wouldn't do when we get married because "One day I'll be married and won't be able to do this" as though it's a prison sentence and a place of restriction.
Yet the very thing you are doing, you are practicing…and that habit will become stronger.
Instead we need to get in the mind set of PRACTICE, and practice the RIGHT habit.
I think older generations did this well, this generation has lost that mind set.
We all need to start practicing; practice commitment, practice work ethic, practice your word, practice your character, your values and morals. Marriages fall apart these days because we live in such a instant gratification world and if it isn't making ME happy then I need to get rid of it and find the thing that does. People don't understand the importance of a vow before God, a commitment made, a given word.
Back in the day people never wrote contracts, they shook hands and gave their word. These days even a written contract is a joke. How did we get here? ...and how do we get back?
I want to see marriages like my grandparents, 67 years and still going. It's not easy, they sometimes don't like each other, but they committed and made it work.
Before you go getting all uptight telling me sometimes there are reasons for divorce…I get that, I've been married…and divorced. It may have been the toughest thing I've gone through this far in my life, but the biggest blessing also. It has given me a new appreciation & respect for marriage.
You see, before I was married I thought marriage was just a piece of paper. It certainly wasn't that big of a deal if it didn't work and we just moved on. But as I've gone through some things; become a Christian, learned the standard that God set in place for the very thing He created, and seen Godly marriages around me, I realize marriage is a lot more than a piece of paper.
It's a vow…not just to your spouse, but to God. A commitment…not just to your spouse, but to God. And in order to stand firm in this, you must practice. You must practice keeping your word, building your character, standing for what you believe in or value most, practice being faithful, practice where you let your eyes look, practice honor, love, purity and self control. You can do this in any aspect of life. Any friendship, job, relationship, even if you're not married (it'll prepare you for when you are).
I read in a book by Andy Stanley once that practicing commitment is like training for a marathon. You can't one day "be committed" just like you can't one day "run a marathon". As much as your little heart desires it ain't gonna happen…unless you train for it! Practice the right things!!!!!
I am not perfect and I still have a lot of work in this arena, I'm not running a marathon yet. But when the time comes to be committed, I will do it because I've practiced, over and over and over again.
I pray for our generation and the one following, that they would learn to practice the important things in life. Not what the new fashion is, how to take a selfie, or how to post a bajillion things on Facebook, instagram or twitter. But to really build their character, be people of their word, remain faithful even in the hard times, be authentic, truthful and own up to their mistakes, to be graceful and forgive, to work hard no matter what position they are in, and most of all to be committed to their spouse when the time comes.
In 2011 I wrote on "Practice makes perfect" you can check it out by clicking on that phrase.
In 2011 I wrote on "Practice makes perfect" you can check it out by clicking on that phrase.
