Practice Makes Perfect

My little sister Erin's birthday is today. She's 10 years old, and I can't believe it! Our family got a birthday card for her, which we all signed. As I thought about what I should put down for my "sweet pea", as her brothers call her, I decided to express not only my love for her, but encouragement to practice the things she loves right now. Those things include volleyball, basketball, and even school. As I continued to write, I also encouraged her to practice the gospel. After I wrote it, I read it to myself, and the wheels started turning. I had never pondered this principle of gospel practice before I wrote it down. I love the unique ways in which the Lord teaches us. I had no idea I was going to learn a lesson writing on my sister's pink birthday card with glittery ponies, but I did. For any of you who know me at all, you know I love basketball. I knew basketball would come up in my blog eventually, but I didn't realize it would be this soon! So here are some ways in which practicing the gospel relates to practicing basketball.

#1- Practice When Nobody is Watching


Jimmer Fredette is my favorite college basketball player right now. It's safe to say that I've become caught up in "Jimmer-mania", and I'm not embarrassed to say it! He can flat out play. I saw a special on him not too long ago about how he came to be a great basketball player. What impressed me most were the hours he spent in the gym working on his game. While most kids would spend their school breaks hanging out with friends, playing video games, etc., Jimmer would be in the gym with his dad. Nobody knew the work that Jimmer was doing on his game, but that didn't matter to him. Christ taught, "appear not unto men to fast, but unto the Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly" (Matthew 6:18). This particular example is of fasting, but the principle applies to any principle of the gospel. Our faith grows tremendously during times when nothing compels us to live the gospel outside of our own love for God, during times when it's just us and God. When we do our best to do what's right in secret, the Lord will bless us.

#2- Practicing is a Process

Despite Jimmer's hard work in the gym, he still misses shots sometimes. And so it is in practicing the gospel. We work on it, we do our best, but we still fall. James 4:17 says "to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." We know how to live, and most often desire to do what's right, and yet "all sin and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Just like practicing anything is a process, so it is in the Gospel. A basketball player masters the 3-point shot, then turns his focus to ball-handling or some other skill. There will always be something else that we can improve on in the gospel.

#3- Practice Makes Perfect

We won't be able to achieve perfection ourselves, although it is a commandment from Christ Himself (Matthew 5:48). However, I'm comforted by this scripture:

"come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God" (Moroni 10:32).

Even though by ourselves we can never be perfect, through His gospel, Jesus Christ has made it possible. Living the gospel is much like practicing. It's a process of daily improvement and growth. It's through that process that we come to know the Savior.