Have I mentioned practicing? Musicians all know about practicing, and many young ones groan and complain at the mention of the word. Many old ones, too. But practice truly does make perfect, and practice builds our foundation, both in music and in life, granting us strength and endurance.
Instead of a piano, organ, and choir, as in my earliest days, more recently, bands and praise teams and orchestras often provide the music for worship services. When I found my skills as a pianist not needed full-time, I even decided to learn to play the cello. I now often switch between playing piano, keyboard, and cello (not to mention handbells and occasionally percussion). Sometimes all during the same service! But while I knew how to practice the piano, learning new instruments required a whole new set of skills. Learning the cello, in particular, required great persistence to get past the beginning stages of squeaks and painful dissonance. When I compared my pitiful string skills to my long-practiced piano skills, I found myself wanting to give up, despairing at ever being good enough to play the cello in church.
Practice, and more practice, eventually paid off, though. My foundation in basic musical skills helped considerably, and persistence in practice helped me gain confidence.
Our beliefs may waver when confronted by storms of pain, despair, hopelessness, anger, or ridicule. A strong foundation in Christ is necessary to come through such storms in one piece. Jesus tells us we can build up our strength by actually doing what He has already told us to do. Practice what He has told us. Practice loving God, practice loving your neighbors, practice doing what is right – and you will grow stronger in godliness and truth.
Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.
Luke 6:46-49