All musicians know that they should. But the truth is, practice is difficult.
As with any worthwhile skill, nothing comes for free. Practice is the price a musician pays for the ability to participate in the musical life. The beginner cannot play Beethoven, and even the skilled pianist must grapple with Scriabin. How then should we, as Christian believers, think of practice? Here are some of my initial thoughts:
First, practice is service.
The skills that I hone in solitude, I deploy in the service of others in public. My practice is not curved in on itself, as I am not the end of my own gifts and abilities. I seek to take the gifts that God has given me and use my practice to love God and bring Him glory, and love others as I serve them.
