Practice Behavior

What is "Practice Behavior"? I am defining this behavior as one that is performed over and over again. It is a way of living that identifies the person performing the behavior. To give a few examples: So and So is a drunk, This one is a thief, That one is a good man. She is a loose woman. I think you get the picture. What we perform over and over again is who we want to be. Sometimes a person will perform an uncharacteristic action based upon a drawing away from what is their normal behavior(an occasional deviation), but by- in- large, they will stay true to their core of inward desire. The heart of the person will be what drives their actions and habits. People are mostly going to do what is important to them.

I found this definition of practice from Wikipedia:

Practice or practise (verb form in British English) is the act of rehearsing a behavior over and over, or engaging in an activity again and again, for the purpose of improving or mastering it, as in the phrase "practice makes perfect".

What type of behavior are we as Christians practicing? Are we practicing good, Godly habits and actions, or are we just going with the flow of our daily lives? We must study, pray and fast, and work to be found faithful to our Lord. There are two passages that talk about "Practice Behavior", and they are a stern warning to us to not go into that area. Read these and let the Holy Spirit give you understanding.

In Matthew, chapter 7, our Lord said these words:

²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

In Galatians, chapter 5, we read thew following from Paul:

¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery,fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, ²¹ envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told youin time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

There are also these verses from each, the previous verses tell us this from Galatians:

¹⁶ I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Matthew, chapter 7 again, Jesus said:

²⁴ “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: ²⁵ and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
²⁶ “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: ²⁷ and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

Let us walk therefore, in the ways of our Fathers in the faith, and practice behavior that is of a humble and broken life before the Lord.