Scripture (NRSV): Matthew 7:24
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them…”
Reflection:
There is something almost understated about Jesus’ instruction: hear and act. Not hear and agree. Not hear and admire. Hear and embody.
We live in a culture that confuses information with true transformation. We consume podcasts, articles, sermons, opinions — and believe that just exposure leads to growth. But real formation needs friction. It needs practice. It needs the humility to try, fail, fix, and try again.
The slow work of formation rarely feels exciting. It happens in everyday choices: how we react to someone who frustrates us, how we use our voice when injustice appears, how we handle fear when headlines overwhelm us, how we treat those who can’t repay us. These moments shape us more than mountain-top experiences ever will.
Perfection is loud and anxious. Practice is patient and steady. Perfection demands flawless execution, but practice allows for growth. A faith worth practicing does not require you to be finished — it invites you to remain faithful. To keep showing up. To keep aligning your life with the mercy you have received.
You are becoming someone. The question is not whether you are being formed, but by what.
Application:
Identify one reactive habit that weakens your foundation and one small practice that strengthens it. Today, interrupt the first and deliberately repeat the second.
Writing Prompt:
Where do you see yourself becoming more patient, courageous, or compassionate over time?
Prayer:
God, who shapes us slowly,
give me patience with the process.
Form me through daily faithfulness.
Amen.