The Olympics are in the news more and more lately. Beginning in just nine days or so, the media hype is already in near full gear. Athletes are already beginning to show up. Reporters are already flooding Beijing. And preparations are quickly nearing completion.
I love the idea of Olympic games. I have to confess that I don’t watch them, but I’m glad they’re held. The nations of the world need a forum where they can come together and play together, without all the political nonsense that gets in the way of people being human and caring for one another. The Olympics is one of the very few venues that provides that opportunity.
None of this means the athletes don’t compete at the very highest level. This is the epitome of their sport. The very biggest forum in which they can display their ability.
No one ever dreams of becoming an Olympic athlete who, after years of hard work and personal sacrifice, manages to come in fourth. Can you imagine a ten-year-old swimmer passionately describing to you how she is working toward the Olympic Games and her ambition is to finish just one place short of a medal? No way! Everyone making that trip feels they have a chance.
Paul uses this analogy for the way we are to live our lives of faith. We should be running the race to win the prize. This means doing our very best at everything we do. It means never missing an opportunity to share our faith. It means living a life transformed by Christ.
Unfortunately, our churches today are filled with people hoping to just do enough to get by. Hoping that when they get to heaven, they will have been just good enough to get in.
But our faith isn’t about doing things to get by. It’s about faith in Jesus. It’s about surrendering our lives, so we can live His life (which is way better anyway). There is no way to live a life of faith the way Jesus did, and try to be just good enough. We have to surrender everything, and truly run the race the very best we can. The prize is the Kingdome of Heaven, far more valuable than an Olympic medal.
Spiritually, are you running the race to win the prize?
I love the idea of Olympic games. I have to confess that I don’t watch them, but I’m glad they’re held. The nations of the world need a forum where they can come together and play together, without all the political nonsense that gets in the way of people being human and caring for one another. The Olympics is one of the very few venues that provides that opportunity.
None of this means the athletes don’t compete at the very highest level. This is the epitome of their sport. The very biggest forum in which they can display their ability.
No one ever dreams of becoming an Olympic athlete who, after years of hard work and personal sacrifice, manages to come in fourth. Can you imagine a ten-year-old swimmer passionately describing to you how she is working toward the Olympic Games and her ambition is to finish just one place short of a medal? No way! Everyone making that trip feels they have a chance.
Paul uses this analogy for the way we are to live our lives of faith. We should be running the race to win the prize. This means doing our very best at everything we do. It means never missing an opportunity to share our faith. It means living a life transformed by Christ.
Unfortunately, our churches today are filled with people hoping to just do enough to get by. Hoping that when they get to heaven, they will have been just good enough to get in.
But our faith isn’t about doing things to get by. It’s about faith in Jesus. It’s about surrendering our lives, so we can live His life (which is way better anyway). There is no way to live a life of faith the way Jesus did, and try to be just good enough. We have to surrender everything, and truly run the race the very best we can. The prize is the Kingdome of Heaven, far more valuable than an Olympic medal.
Spiritually, are you running the race to win the prize?
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