Who would have thought that a tall lanky white kid from French Lick, Indiana would become one of the most famous and revered NBA player of all time. In his era he was one of the best to have ever played. He took the talent he had and gave back the increase of a great career that people still talk about. Whether you liked the team he played on or not. You respected his ability to play consistently at a high level. Though his vertical leap could probably be measured by a ruler, he was one of the most consistent free throw shooters. Larry Bird was one of those players who put in the necessary time to make himself a better player. After everyone had gone home following practice, he would hang around to shoot free throws.; five hundred of them–EVERYDAY! He worked hard inand after practice honing his entire basketball skill set. That’s the difference between exceptional and average. Exceptional people do what others are unwilling to do to perfect their craft.
Are you willing to do what others won’t? Or are you just satisfied with getting by, or doing just enough? I’ll go out on a limb and say most believers (especially those who read devotionals) really desire to increase our faith walk with the Lord. We want mountain moving faith. Just as Larry Bird didn’t get to be a great player by wishinghe was, neither will we become great people of faith whose works follow unless we practice the fundamentals. The bible says faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God, but how often do we hear the word of God. Sundays only are for those who choose to remain average. The only way faith comes is by hearing, and hearing, and hearing. When my pastor said these words recently, I really had to think about how much actual time I spend listening to the word. How often do I really study the notes I take in church? It’s not like I haven’t heard it before and that’s just it. Faith cannot come after just hearing something one time. Repetition is the mother of all learning. I must hear it over and over until I get it. How do we know if we got it? When we can see tangible results in our lives by our application of the principles. Our faith producing works should come from the overflow of the word within us. There’s no such thing as conjured up faith. As we live and grow, we are changed from glory to glory. I guess you and I still have some work to do.
© Fredrick F. Nicholson all rights reserved
