There’s a popular story about how sportswear giant Nike sent Alan Stein Jr. to watch the late Kobe Bryant work out and document some of his routines for the first Kobe Bryant Skills Academy in 2007. At the time, Kobe was in his prime and unarguably the best basketball player in the world and Stein expected to witness some extraordinary workout drills. Upon arriving at the gym, he found Kobe already there, performing basic high school routines non-stop for about 45 minutes. Intrigued by Kobe’s approach, Stein inquired why the best basketball player in the world was so obsessed with the basics. Kobe famously replied, “Why do you think I am the best player in the world? Because I never get bored with the basics.”
Just like Kobe, without mastering the basics or fundamental tenets of our faith, our attempts to grow will be stunted and this stuntedness manifests in various ways in our faith journey. In today’s devotional, I will focus on two of the fundamental basics of the faith journey and how the lack of mastery and consistency in them can lead to stunted growth for the believer.
The first fundamental habit and perhaps one of the most important attitudes we must cultivate on the faith lane is reading and studying the Word. The importance of this is such that upon giving our lives to Jesus, the first thing that is emphasized is for the believer to develop a voracious appetite for the Word of God. In some cases, a hard copy of the Holy Bible is even presented or gifted to us to help us on this journey, so that we are without excuse. The Apostle Peter captures the importance of the Word in the life of a believer and shows us why it is such a critical component of our faith walk if we are to prevent stunted spiritual growth.
“Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment.” — 1 Peter 2:2 (NLT)
The Psalmist also gives us insight into our posture toward the Word;
“But they delight in the Law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night.” — Psalms 1:2 (NLT)
and the judge, Joshua also instructs us on our attitude and commitment to the Word, along with the corresponding outcome if we comply with God’s Word accordingly:
“Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” — Joshua 1:8 (NLT)
Having seen the importance of these faith fundamentals we would assume that all believers will be thoroughly dedicated to the study of God’s word, but alas, we live in a world where believers struggle with this fundamental aspect of their faith journey. While for some, it’s due to laziness arising from a lack of diligence, for others, it’s their quest for supposed metaphysical or supernatural phenomena that causes them to see the written Word of God as too mundane and simplistic, prompting them to move on to “supposed” deeper materials. For example, you often find individuals in theological arguments who love to quote extra-biblical sources to sound deep and knowledgeable. Some even suggest that the Bible, as we have it, is incomplete, inaccurate, and lacking fundamental knowledge necessary for human sustenance and advancement. From such individuals, please abstain.
In Romans 16:17, the Apostle Paul warns us of these tendencies and gives us a litmus test to guard against them:
“I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.” — Romans 16:17 (NIV)
From this admonition, we can deduce that when one’s supposed understanding of the Word of God begins to engineer a division between such an individual and God, or between the individual and the church, it’s time for a re-evaluation of that which such person or people have claimed to believe, for even God told us in His word that He doesn’t author confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33).
Therefore, if one’s knowledge of God begins to foster acrimony amongst brethren as opposed to unity, it’s a sign that growth is becoming stunted and the only way to correct this anomaly is to return to the basics of studying God’s word genuinely and accurately as improper feeding on the Word can manifest stunted growth in ways other than the one just explained as well.
My prayer is that as you continue on your faith journey, the Holy Spirit will bring these issues to your awareness and furnish you with the grace to grow in Him properly, Amen!
The second, and equally important faith fundamental on our faith journey is prayer — i.e. our direct line of communication with God. It is a universally acknowledged truth that no relationship can thrive without intimacy, and the most effective way to cultivate intimacy is through communication. This principle holds true not only for our human relationships but also for our divine relationship with God.
One of the miraculous outcomes of communication-induced intimacy is the crossover of values and habits, especially after a period of consistency in intimate communication. We often see that after these periods, the parties involved in that relationship begin to resemble each other in their actions, speech, and behaviour and this can be particularly evident in our relationship with God if we maintain the protocols of intimate communication through the agency of prayers.
By praying regularly, beyond just talking to God which is a huge flex on its own, we begin to reflect His will, embody His character, and manifest His thoughts in our daily lives, and the lack of prayers or inconsistent prayer in a believer’s life thus prevents them from reflecting the will, character, and thoughts of God, a tendency the Bible refers to as fainting:
“And He spoke a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not to faint.” — Luke 18:1 (KJV)
In conclusion, mastering the basics of reading the Word and maintaining a consistent prayer life are fundamental to our growth as believers. Just as Kobe’s dedication to the basics made him the best in his field, our dedication to these spiritual basics will ensure our growth and maturity in the faith.
Let us not grow weary in doing these foundational practices, for in due season, we will reap the rewards of a vibrant and thriving relationship with God.
Shalom!
Nonso Orji
IG/X: @nonso_orji