Daily Butter: In Practice

In Practice

My little addition to Our Daily Bread (7/1/13) 

If we say, "We have fellowship with Him," yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are

not practicing the truth. But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have

fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

(1 John 1:6-7 HCSB)

How can darkness and light be in the same place? Only at different times. While the truism that "no one's perfect" reminds us as verse five says only God has "absolutely no darkness in Him." Verse six reminds us that were we actually walking closely with Him, we could not be walking in darkness. All stumble into the darkness, but those in relationship with Him do not willingly stay.

I enjoy exploring the nuances of the English language, and since most of the English translations I referenced (NASB, NLT, NKJV are a few) used a form of the verb "practice" I wanted to look at it carefully.  Perhaps it's just me, but the word most often conjures memories of tedious, repetitive drills or exercises on an athletic field or upon a musical instrument. Yet as my sister-in-law completes her training, she is eager to start her chiropractic practice - Neither of those noun uses really apply to the verb form of the word. While a great word and properly applied, the word practice might confuse the issue. Perhaps the KJV avoids this best with the straight forward "we lie, and do not the truth."

Practice is not just something we do, our practice is EVERYTHING we do. My sister-in-law will have a great practice because helping people find wellness is what she does; it IS her practice and the chiropractic skills she's gained only give her new ways to touch lives. Truth should be our very nature and therefore it MUST be lived out. I cannot shrug off a stumble into darkness that I know has disappointed my Heavenly Father because of the truth that is in me. Integrity is letting the new nature He has placed within me be the outward appearance and the actions demonstrated as I put my faith in practice.

in His Service

Andy Jentes