AS YOU PRACTICE, SO YOU PLAY

January 06, 2016

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” – 2 Timothy 2:15 NIV

Have you ever been to a worship service that just seemed to fall flat? Maybe you thought your pastor let you down and gave a sermon that was just plain boring! Or maybe the music didn’t connect or wasn’t the style you were in the mood for that day. Some days things just don’t connect and you think, well, there’s an hour of my life I’ll never get back.

Coaches in all sports have a saying about preparing for a big game. “As you practice, so you play.” It works the same way in our spiritual lives. Regular time alone with God is how we practice staying close to God each day. And, certainly, if we’re going to have meaningful, weekly worship with other believers, it’s always more meaningful when we’ve spent time alone with God.

I guess that sometimes we do fall short, but maybe it’s just a little too easy to blame the worship leaders for a flat experience. When a weekly service disappoints, it might be because you haven’t been in practice all week. As you practice, so you play the game. You’ll be amazed how much anticipation there is for weekly worship if you have regular time alone with God.