DaySpring Daily Word of Inspiration: Colossians 2:6-7 – So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
There is something that can be said about a person who has been brought up in the mode of something or someone else. I think of professional athletes and their children when you consider this thought. There is a lifestyle that these children are raised in that shapes their lives and has them primed for success in various areas of life. One notable example of this would be NBA guard Stephen Curry. Now Stephen (Steph) is the son of NBA Dell Curry. Dell in his prime was a drop-dead shooter; very consistent and accurate in his ability to shoot the basketball. The stories of Dell’s son arose as he began to make his way through high school and into the college ranks. After his first season in the league it was pretty evident that his pedigree was official. They spoke to Steph about his ability to shoot and how he was able to make some of the tough shots that he had made up until that point. Steph being proud of where he had come from explained how he took on the work ethic of his father. He was constantly at the games and practices and he learned how to put in the work and hone his own talent – modeled after his “father”! He exclaimed that his father had poured out all of his knowledge and insight of the game into him and he keep all that he had learned close to his heart and continued to build upon that foundation. Needless to say, Steph Curry is now one of the best shooters the league has ever seen!
This story is a great representation of how our lives should look in Christ. It is symbolic of what is available to us and how it can transform our lives if we embrace its truth. As it stands, God has given us first the opportunity. He has made Christ available to every single person on the planet! Before we can start to talk about becoming great at anything, we have to take up the opportunity that is set before us….but I digress. God gave us Jesus Christ and his full nature in the example of him walking on the face of this earth. Once we receive Christ there should be things we do to mature that Christlike character that we (should) want in our lives. We have to first continue to live out what we saw Christ do; that means being upright, blameless and holding to the teachings of God’s word (and so much more). We have to be planted in him; so as we put our faith and trust in him, his words and promises, we continue to be built up as we make it to the practices (i.e. church, bible study, fellowshipping) which get us ready for the game time situations of life. We have to strengthen ourselves in what we’ve been taught; all that our Pastor and personal studies have afforded us should be put into use so we can begin to see the results of putting that time in at the spiritual gym. We develop and challenge ourselves with new goals and continue to work-out the fruits of the Spirit in our lives, making the sight of God in your life visible to all! Then as the growth is seen and the results are evident, when someone asks you about how you got to that point, you can point to your FATHER!
The beauty of this is that even though you put in the work, you humbly and thankfully can give the credit due to the one who gave you the strength, knowledge, wisdom, mentality and talent to make it all come together by simply holding to his teaching (the Word of God) and his example (Jesus Christ) as you stayed true to the foundation He initially placed in you!
Now you may be inspired right now, GOOD! That is the point of this mediation; however I must give this disclaimer as we move forward in excellence. Steph Curry had to put in work to become who he is now. That being said, to become better in your relationship with God, there is going to be some work that needs to be done. It may be in the form of helping out at your place of worship, maybe actually serving in a ministry, it could be changing the way you speak to people, it could changing your attitude and outlook on things, it may be changing the places you go or the people you associate with. Whatever the case, you will have to exercise your faith to get it strong enough to be able to do the work that your Father (& Lord and Savior) did and place in you. It’s available for you! Do you want to walk in the footsteps of your Father or miss your opportunity to show others how your Father impacted your life?
Today we pray that as we receive the rich fullness of Christ into our lives, we can continue to work at developing a life that he wants to produce in us that will ultimately give him the glory for all to see. Is it in you? If not, what are you building your foundation on and what is strengthening you to do what you do? As a Christian, it should only be Christ. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!