Spring has arrived in North America. Along with the bright sunshine and melting snow comes another sign of summer ahead: spring training for the upcoming baseball season.

I love the game, but I also love the analogy that can be made between our Christian lives and the practice of a sport. I first heard this analogy in a book by Herbert W. Armstrong titled Mystery of the Ages. It applies to more than baseball; it can apply to your favorite sport too.

A sports team works all year and looks forward to the playoffs or championship. As Christians we look forward, striving to win the main event, a World Cup or World Series of sorts, and be victors in the Kingdom of God. We look forward to the return of Jesus Christ and the setting up of God's Kingdom on earth.

Since that's our "big game," then what are our lives now? Life is practice. We work hard to perfect our skills by building godly character. Instead of training our physical bodies for activity, we are training our spiritual muscles.

What's practice? It's the repetitive action of a skill or group of skills with the goal of improvement. Over and over again in this life we are faced with situations and challenges that force us to improve, not necessarily physically, but emotionally and spiritually. Sometimes training is hard and we just want to move on to something else. But God is our ultimate coach. He knows which aspects of our character need the most practice, and He wants those spiritual muscles to be worked out.

You have to practice if you want to play. Most good coaches will not allow their players to play unless they show up for practice. God instructs us to live a certain way of life, to keep His commandments and observe His Holy Days, as outlined in His playbook, the Bible. If we don't practice, we cannot expect to show up on game day and play.

Practice makes perfect—that's true for Christians too. The Father is developing godly, perfect character in all of us so we can be like Him. "Be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48).

Right now, there are no perfect people, nor would there be if it were left just to people. But if we practice living God's way and following the example of Jesus Christ, God will make us perfect someday.

What's the best way to do our spiritual practice?

• Scheduled time: God outlines some mandatory practice sessions like His weekly Sabbath and annual Holy Days. These are holy times where we can focus on our relationship with God. Read "The Festival Code: Unlocking the Future" to learn more about God's practice times.
• Individual sessions: Outside of scheduled practice times, successful players work on their individual skills. This means prayer, focusing on overcoming your faults, plus scheduling time in your day to study God's Word.
• Be a team player: Encourage others to keep practicing. Team unity is critical for success. Some cheering from the sidelines really helps boost the faith of others.
• Ask the Coach for help. You know which Coach I am talking about. He can lead you in your development and help you become an all-star.

Don't sit on the bench! Put in the time and effort to be a player on God's team. The big game is coming...practice well. VT