Anybody can become an expert at anything. There is no secret path to expertise. It doesn’t come by chance. The path to becoming an expert is a path of unrelenting dedication and sacrifice. That is why experts are rare. Very few of us are willing to do what it takes to become one. Spirituality is no exception.
Science, Sports, and Spirituality
Several years ago, Scientific American magazine published a story titled, “The Expert Mind.” The story stuck with me because it was so shockingly practical. It was a report by psychologists who had analyzed what goes into making someone the best at what they do. Their study looked at chess grandmasters, artists, musicians, and athletes.
“Expertise theorists” discovered that becoming an expert at anything demands an enormous amount of effort. They start by first injecting “chunks” of knowledge into their long-term memory. Then, they put that knowledge to use in a very specific way. They practice it over and over again.
Reach Beyond Your Grasp
Notice that expertise does not come from experience, and it’s not just genetic. You cultivate it. Becoming an expert requires “effortful study.” Being really interested in something won’t make you an expert. You have to be willing to stretch yourself and “tackle challenges that lie just beyond your competence.”
“That is why it is possible for enthusiasts to spend tens of thousands of hours playing chess or golf or a musical instrument without ever advancing beyond the amateur level. It is why a properly trained student can overtake an enthusiast in a relatively short time. The study confirmed that “motivation appears to be a more important factor than innate ability … the preponderance of psychological evidence indicates that experts are made, not born.”
The Need To Up Your Game
Whether you’re a basketball fan or not, you’ve probably heard of Steph Curry. He’s the point guard for the World Champion Golden State Warriors and a basketball sensation. He also happens to be the best shooter in the NBA. He holds the NBA record for most consecutive games making a three-point shot, once making 77 straight three-point shots in practice.
But Steph Curry wasn’t born that way. He just works harder at it than most everyone else.
And here’s the key. Curry has always been an undersized player by NBA standards. When he finished high school, he knew that if he wanted to compete at the highest levels he would have to do something to make himself more competitive. So, he took on new dribbling and passing skills that stretched his limits as a player. Most significantly, he completely changed the way he had always shot the ball. He knew his old habits wouldn’t work in the NBA. According to Steph Curry, “no matter where you are in your progression, we’re all in the same boat. Still searching for perfection and our full potential. The time is now for you to start your journey and find ways to get better. That’s why we’re all here. You need to get in the gym and get to work.”
Becoming Spiritual “Experts”
What I’m suggesting is that we can apply this type of thinking to the practice of Christian spirituality. When it comes to authentic spirituality, The Scientific American article I mentioned above might as well have been written by Dallas Willard. Willard was a Christian philosopher who did a lot of work in the area of spiritual disciplines. If you haven’t read his book, Renovation of the Heart, I would highly recommend it. It’s a Christian handbook for becoming a spiritual expert.
Willard’s point in the book is that being “spiritual” is not just a call for mental assent to the truth. It is not just a “good feeling” about God. Both of these are important. But they are not ends in themselves. Authentic spirituality means connecting knowledge to a system of behavior.
It means that you behave in a way that manifests your beliefs. And you do so without a conscious thought. You act automatically, not because you consider all available options, but because it has become your very nature. It is who you are. The sum of your habits becomes your character.
Brother Lawrence called this The Practice of the Presence of God. It is a dedication, motivated by joy, to the spiritual disciplines of our faith. The Apostle Paul called it “righteousness” (Greek: dikaiosune).
Three Steps To A Reoriented Spiritual Expertise
Like the NBA’s Steph Curry was with basketball, you have to be honest with yourself about the parts of your spiritual life that are missing. And then do something about putting yourself on the path to expertise.
- Recognize your shortcomings — Do you need to dig more into the evidence that undergirds your faith? Or, like me, do you need to be more intentional about attaching your heart to your head? Do you talk a good game, or do you live a life of sacrificial love and service to others? Be honest with yourself.
- Learn new skills — Pick up a book like Celebration of Discipline, by Richard J. Foster. Discover the spiritual disciplines that you may not even be aware of. Pick a few and focus on them. Make a habit of practicing them. Then go back for more. There is no end to the depth and breadth of the “spiritual skills” we all need to improve on.
- Become a teacher — Even if it’s just for a short time, take the lead in your small group, Bible study, or Sunday School class. You will never know a subject better than when you have to try to explain it to someone else. And don’t just talk about doing it. Put it on your calendar! Nothing has been more effective for my own spiritual growth than forcing myself to try to teach others about the truth and practical applications of Christianity.
Don’t Get Crazy, You Don’t Do This On Your Own
I would not suggest for a second that this limits or excludes the work of the Holy Spirit in the renewing of our minds and renovation of our hearts. But it does seem to be a cop out to accept the renewal — and then ignore the hard work required to live it out.
James, the brother of Jesus, put it quite succinctly when he said, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22)
Becoming a spiritual expert means living out what you claim to believe. First, you have to know it. Then you have to put it into practice. The life you live should show it. For what it’s worth, Steph Curry is also an unabashed Christian.
They will know us by our fruits.
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