Practice Makes Perfect

Chuckle: A nurse was about to give a shot to a little girl. The girl screamed, "No! No! No!" "Lizzie, that's not polite behavior," her mother scolded. Then the girl yelled even louder, "No thank you! No thank you, No thank you!"

Quote: "Love is: Silence when your words would hurt; Patience when your neighbor's curt; Deafness when the scandal flows; Thoughtfulness for another's woes; Promptness when stern duty calls; Courage when misfortune falls." --Unknown source

"May the Lord make your love for each other and for everyone else grow by leaps and bounds" (1 Thessalonians 3:12 CEV).

As long as I can remember I have heard the expression "practice makes perfect." More often than not it was used in reference to perfecting some physical skill, perhaps in sports or on the job. The more repetitions we do the stronger and more skilled we become. The expression focuses on the need for hard work. Perhaps you've never thought about the need for practice or repetitions to become skilled at loving others. If we remember that the word "love" is an action word, not just a warm fuzzy emotional feeling, then the need for practice makes more sense.

When we Christians show love to others, we are giving expression to the love that God has shown us. "If we love each other, God lives in us, and his love has been brought to full expression through us" (1 John 4:12 NLT). If we allow the love of God to fill our hearts and minds, it will overflow into the lives of others and reflect God's love for them. However, it's not enough just to show our love by being courteous and kind.

No, our love must be shown by frequent and persistent acts of kindness that convincingly demonstrate our love in ways that mere words can never convey. God tells us He loves us (John 3:16), but He doesn't stop there. "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8 NIV). As we demonstrate our love to others over and over again, our ability to love should be growing with each repetition.

If you have become indifferent about showing God's love to others, or if your capacity to love has become stagnant and unchanged for a period of time, you can always ask God to refresh and refill you with His never-ending supply. Then actively and repetitively look for opportunities to practice loving in both words and deeds. "Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and truth" (1 John 3:18 NIV). The more you practice loving as God loves you, the more proficient you will become and He will perfect His presence, power, and peace within you.

 

Love, Jerry & Dotse