Practice – do it.
It’s to take what you have learned; what God has revealed and to put it into action.
Apply it and incorporate it into our thinking, our attitudes and our behavior
So, the big question is, how do we do this? How do we take what we have been taught and incorporate it into our lives?
Just from the offset, the very definition of its being an act tells us we’re going to have to move.
You don’t’ do anything by standing still. Putting truth into practice is not magic, it doesn’t happen on its own.
“The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the soul of the diligent is made fat. (or prosperous)” Prov 13:4
When you do nothing, nothing happens, and wishing for something doesn’t accomplish anything.
It’s something you have to work at, and you have to want it enough to work at it.
The first thing I want to consider in relation to this question – how do we put what we have learned into practice, is – the right Motivation.
In relation to applying truth – acting on what it is we have been taught, motivation is something that I have heard come up a lot.
Some people will say, “I’m just not motivated enough, or I need more motivation to pursue these things.” As if somehow a motivational bolt is going to come down and energize our hearts to act.
I personally think people put too much weight on this whole issue of motivation.
Motivation in itself isn’t the issue – the issue is your heart. You don’t see yourself as really needing what God has revealed in His word.
Many times, our problem is that we’re just not desperate enough. We don’t lack the motivation, we lack the understanding. We don’t see God’s word for what it is, we don’t take it seriously, and if we’re honest, what He says and thinks about my life isn’t that important to me.
Let me ask you something, what is the end goal in applying truth to our lives?
What is the purpose of it?
This is important. If your goal is worthy enough you find a way to press on even when you don’t feel like it.
In a broad sense its purpose is to fulfill our calling.
We are to be holy like our heavenly Father is holy – why?
Four main reasons are –
To Obey
To Glorify
To Worship
To Testify
“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” – Matt 5:16
“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” – Rom 12:1
“you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” – 1 Peter 2:5
“Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.” – Heb 13:15
“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” – 1 Cor 6:19-20
If that’s not enough –
“For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.” – Col 1:9-12
Other reasons for practicing truth:
Useful service
Spiritual protection
Maintaining a thankful heart
Maintaining a steadfast spirit
Growth in wisdom
Growth in grace
Growth in patience.
Power
We could go on.
The reasons for applying truth are endless.
If you cannot find motivation in any of these, if you don’t see any of these as essential for life – then you need to take a serious look at your heart and ask yourself if you really and truly know the LORD.
How to apply God’s word starts with understanding our need to in order to be faithful to our call. This will provide motivation, and those times when we are struggling and the motivation isn’t there, that’s when discipline takes over. We do it because we know it’s right not because we feel it’s right.
We understand the importance of these things, and how I feel from day to day doesn’t change that reality. It doesn’t change my responsibility to act and respond to God’s word.
Which brings us to another way we practice the truth.
And that is through obedience. Practicing God’s word is an act of obedience. This has already been implied, by I think it deserves further mention.
“Then he took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!" – Ex 24:7
When Moses read from God’s law, Israel recognized it for what it was.
I said it before and I’ll say it again -- God’s word is not a suggestion, God’s word is a command. Whether you are in Christ or not does not change the fact. My ability to recognize or not recognize God’s word as authoritative has no bearing on the nature of it. God’s word is law.
To fail to practice the truth is an act of disobedience. We need to see that.
Ps 119:4 – “You have ordained Your precepts,
That we should keep them diligently.”
Eph 2:10 – “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
As believers, we have no other course.
I will add too, if we are to be obedient to God’s word we need to know it. That goes back to studying it and one of the reasons that is done first.
So How do we put God’s word into practice?
By understanding how much we need it – a proper motivation and perspective.
Obedience – we do it by simply obeying. Doing what God has commanded us to do.
And lastly –
By discipling ourselves – and this is where I think it gets practical.
To know we need to do something – even understanding why it is we need to do it are a necessity, but unfortunately, as human beings we are not known for doing what is best for ourselves.
Discipline is the act of self-control. The two really go hand in hand. It carries with it this idea of training. It’s a vigorous exercise of the body or the mind. It’s often used in describing athletes.
Watching the Olympics is something I really enjoy. One of the things I love about it is seeing what the human body is capable of. What these athletes are able to do required no little amount of discipline and self- denial. Rigorous and intense regimens. Self-sacrifice and a giving up of those things they really wanted to do. It’s something they’ve been training for, for most if not all their lives. Years of sacrifice and dedication, that kind of discipline is something I have a lot of respect for. But they do it for a wreath that is perishable. Their glory is temporary.
To speak in athletic vernacular – When you sit down at God’s word you are in session. These are the rules and the means by which you compete and you take hold of it and go out and use it. Put it to the test, build endurance.
There’s a quote by Abraham Lincoln I think, that I like.
“Discipline is choosing between what you want now and what you want most.”
It’s keeping that goal in view and allowing it to influence my day to day decisions. What I say no and yes to – I do so, uninterested in the temporary satisfaction I might gain and more concerned with the final outcome.
“But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; (this is the goal) for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”
Here’s this mindset again, this looking ahead, and yet another motivation.
It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. For it is for this we labor and strive, (no one said it was going to be easy, but the prize outweighs the struggle) because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.” – 1 Tim 4:7-9
Discipline will always choose the best thing. Not the easiest or most expedient.
Think about some of the examples we have of godly men and women. What’s unique about them? They have the same LORD as us, the same spirit. What makes them stand out?
Think of Joseph, Daniel, Jehoshaphat, Ruth, Paul
Even post biblical times – I think of Jonathan Edwards, George Whitfield, David Brainerd, Jim Elliot, Amy Carmichael, Elizabeth Elliot
Do all these people seem “A cut above” to you?
Jonathan Edwards with his list of resolves – “I resolve to.” Jim Elliot, who said, “When it comes time to die, make sure all you have to do is die”.
These men and women accomplished so much for the cause of Christ because that was all they were about. They practiced self-denial. The act of disciplining yourself to choose God first.
Their great acts of faith were built on the small decisions they made every day.
So, let’s get really practical – these small day to day decisions in which we need to practice discipline are always the hardest
Let’s take the example of spending time in God’s word. The LORD has laid it on my heart that I’m not taking the time I need to. And I have been brought to the point where I am convicted about this and decide it needs to change. How do I do that?
Evaluate how I use my time, come up with a plan and stick to it. That last part is the hardest part for us – follow through.
Maybe I need to get up earlier. Maybe there is something I’m doing in the morning that I need to let go of and give God’s word priority. All of our lives are different with different situations and responsibilities.
But no matter who you are or what you have to do to the ability to change will always come down to what I want most. Right? We always make time for the things we want to do. There is always time to do the will of God, the question is – Do you want to do it?
It will always come back to how I view truth. Do I see it as that life line, that which anchors me through the storms and trials of life? There is nothing else that can hold me fast. And if I let go, I’m going to start to drift. Even when I’m tired, I don’t let go. The excuse that I’m too worn out or tired is a deception. The truth of God’s word is the only life line that doesn’t sap our energy by holding on, but rather, pours strength into us.
How often have you found that to be true? When you were tired and didn’t feel like spending time in God’s word, but disciplined yourself to do it anyway and came away with a new-found strength.
“I shall run the way of Your commandments,
For You will enlarge my heart.” – Ps 119:32
1 Kings 4:29 talks about how God blessed Solomon, it says –
“Now God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment and breadth of mind(heart), like the sand that is on the seashore.” – 1 Kings 4:29
This word ‘breadth’ comes from the word translated ‘enlarge’ in Psalm 119.
This enlargement of Solomon’s heart was done so in the context of wisdom and understanding.
I think one of the ways you can take this verse in psalms is that when we run the way of God’s commandments, The LORD opens our heart to a greater understanding. The more you pursue or practice it the more you understand and see just how much you need it. But it doesn’t happen apart from putting forth effort.
“I shall run…”
Running takes effort. But like every physical exercise, the more you do it the easier it gets. You build up strength and endurance. And then you can start adding greater and greater distance.
You can’t expect to run a marathon the first time out the door. It takes discipline, patience and perseverance.
Similarly, you can’t expect to learn everything there is to know about God and His word the first time you open the bible. Persevere at it, and the LORD will reveal it – He will enlarge your heart.
All this to say that to put God’s word into practice you have to be willing to put forth effort. To discipline yourself and to know its purpose and understand just how much you need it.
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