Steph Curry Explains Moment He Truly Became a Christian and ‘Gave My Life to Christ’
06-09-2019
CBN News Lindsay Elizabeth
In-between leading his team to the NBA finals, and being a dad to three kids under seven, Steph Curry released episode five of his Facebook series, “Stephen vs. The Game,” to which he dedicated to his faith.
The episode, titled “Faith,” details the impact Curry’s relationship with Jesus Christ has had on his basketball career, his family, and how he deals with every obstacle that comes his way.
“Faith” begins with Curry explaining how at the end of the day, his faith resides in his creator because he knows he can only control so much, and that there is a much bigger power controlling the universe.
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“My faith is tested on the court as much as it is in life,” Curry said on the show.
“It’s the part that always keeps me focused on what I need to do when it comes to my family, when it comes to my job, when it comes to how I treat other people, my appreciation for life and all the good things that happen and how to deal with the bad things that happen.”
The 3X NBA Champion point guard for the Golden State Warriors believes fully that his strengths, abilities, and talents come from God. This pushes him put his faith first in all aspects of life, whether that is family, or on the court.
“I put believer first, because that is supposed to be the roots of everything that I do as a believer, as a husband, as a father, and on down from there.”
“Faith to me is believing in the unseen, and having a conviction that there is a higher power that has given me a purpose to what I am doing on this earth,” he added. “For me, that is the foundation to how I live my life and how I want to see the world through that lens.”
How Family and Faith Has Shaped His Life
The NBA superstar grew up going to church. Every Wednesday, he would attend the youth service at church, and then on Sundays, his family would all attend the morning service.
Curry’s father, Dell Curry, also shared in the episode how foundational faith had been to both him and Steph’s mother and how they made sure to instill the same values in their children.
Both his parents, Dell and Sonya, shared how their faith is their foundation to all things in life. Whether they have challenges, questions, times of prosperity: God is at the center for all things.
“My faith to me is my strength,” Sonya Curry shared. “When I have questions, challenges, I read the Word, and it’s my beacon of light, my lighthouse.”
Part of the reason that Curry has stayed so firm in his faith, could be due to the fact that his family made it a priority growing up. His mother shared that she would wake the kids up before school to do devotionals as a family, “to emphasis putting God first.”
Until he was in eighth grade, Curry more so saw Christianity as his parent’s faith.
“[Christianity] was more something that was important to my parents but I never really understood it,” Curry said. “It was a decision I needed to make for myself. I was kinda just going with the flow.”
He recalled an experience in eighth grade where one of his pastors, Pastor Jason, explained the importance of having your own faith, and not just living off of your parent’s faith, which hit Curry hard.
“I felt a calling, went down to the altar, and gave my life to Christ,” Curry shared. “That became the beginning of my own personal journey.”
“My faith is about the personal relationship, more so than following a certain religious tradition or practice. Challenges you to make sure that you are feeding your spirit with the right things versus what the world is throwing at us. It’s a constant battle, if I say I have it down, I’d be lying.”
Sharing His Faith On and Off The Court
Curry explained that although he takes every opportunity to talk to someone about God, and his faith, he puts a larger emphasis on letting his actions speak for him.
“I strive to be myself, live out my faith, continue to learn, and not be afraid of that higher calling. I feel there’s a responsibility to that, and I own it,” Curry explained.
He also added how he began writing “I can do all things…” on his shoes after his mother challenged him to find a life verse to give him strength.
“My mom challenged me to find a verse that I could rely on to give me strength, give me a sense of purpose and to remember who I was playing for every time I lace up my sneakers,” he shared.
“It reminds me why I am blessed with these talents, where I get my strength from, and who I am playing for,” Curry added.
The episode wraps up with Curry driving his two daughters Riley and Ryan to school, saying a prayer along the way.
“Dear God,” Curry says out loud, “We thank you for this day. I thank you for my pretty girls, Riley and Ryan. I ask that you keep them safe at school today and that they have fun, and let them be on their best behavior. I pray that they learn something, and have fun with their friends. And we thank you for all your many blessings, and in Jesus name, we pray.”
“Amen,” the three say.
While they drive, Christian singer Lauren Daigle’s song “You Say” plays in the background, with the girls singing along.
The Facebook series is season two of “Versus On Watch,” where Facebook goes behind the scenes with some of the greatest athletes, letting viewers see a glimpse into their day-to-day. Last fall, Tom Brady became the first athlete to appear on “Versus On Watch,” filming six episodes for the show.
