I first picked up a basketball when I was in the 5th grade. I remember it like it was yesterday. It was one of those plastic rubbery things. Not the greatest. It even warped into egg shape one day when I left it in the sun. Believe me…lesson learned. But regardless of its condition, it was still my ball. It felt good in my hands. There was an instant connection. And I knew I wanted to learn how to play the game. The seed had been planted.
As I grew into my teenage years, I developed a love for the game. I felt drawn to it. I was never satisfied with my ability. Constantly practicing and playing to get better. What’s brilliant about the game is that you can play it alone. It can be the goal, the ball, and you. Beautiful. Basketball was something I could turn to when I needed a release. Or a time to work on me. At any moment I could work and grow. What’s also brilliant about the game is the ability to play on a team. And the lessons we can learn from teamwork. Life lessons. Especially in practice. I loved practice more than the games. The learning that I got during the workouts. Alone or as a team. And the same can be said about my walk with Christ. Yours too.
When we first accept Jesus, the seed is planted. The love relationship begins. We have joined his team. But we have much learning to do. Therefore we must pursue him as he has pursued us. We must become intimate with him. This is how we grow. We learn to practice our faith. Building different skills in it. Strengthening them. Prayer. Love. Patience. Discernment. So many more. All skills we can improve on. We can work on our faith by ourselves and also as part of a team. As we continue to grow we will move towards maximizing our potential. And here is what is awesome about this whole thing. What is awesome about working on our faith. God will show us our greatness. He will bring it out. He will use it for his good. But remember, for this to happen, we need to work on drawing close to him. Seek him. Pursue him. Make him our focus. And he in return will bring it out of us.
