Do Spiritual Practices Make Us Perfect?

Do Spiritual Practices Make Us Perfect? June 25, 2016

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I have been practicing for almost as long as I can remember. My parents believed practicing and repetition were the best ways to learn things. There was practicing multiplication tables and book reports for school. There was practicing my lines for programs and plays. When I was in the school band, I practiced.

All with the understanding that practice helped us become less nervous, do a better job.

After law school, I practiced law.

Being introduced to contemplative practices drew me into new spiritual life. Taking measurable steps, making tangible commitments showed me how to continue. Practicing helped me become more comfortable with deeper Sacred truths. Practicing in an organized way showed me how to go beyond practicing.

As a spiritual coach and guide, I help people develop practices of their own. Sometimes we need to let go of old habits or practices before we can find new ones. Sometimes we need to go beyond established, recognized practices to discover more. We practice, behaving our way into new insights.

We do not practice to earn more spiritual life, to work our way toward a goal. We do not practice because we have to; we practice because we get to practice. Our spiritual practices grow out of our values and the spiritual life in us.

Spiritual practices are not about performance.We may think we are working to improve ourselves. We do not put our values into practice to impress other people. Our spiritual practices reflect who we are becoming.

Our spiritual practices help us become who we have the potential to be. We reach out toward our truest selves, toward the Sacred all around us.

The truth is we are practicing living the spiritual life in us.

What are you practicing today?

Where will this week’s practicing take us next?

[Image by denn]


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