Now that the Olympics are over and just a memory for all of us, I thought I would reflect a little...
If you know me at all, you know that I am VERY competitive. I hate to lose at anything, much less something that I am representing more than only myself. I was thinking about all the athletes that wear the colors of their country...
There are literally hundreds and hundreds of athletes from about 203 countries, competing in about 302 events in 28 sports. Most do NOT go home with a medal. Now I realize this is a statistic that any logical brain could figure out on its own. But I was struck – dumbfounded even – by the fact that so many athletes would spend years training for an event that they know would lead them to nowhere. They would be privileged to be part of the Games, celebrate with other teammates or even other countries as they win medals. But a large majority in fact, would walk away with just a great memory of competing against the world’s best but ultimately, losing.
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Hebrews 12:1
What are WE doing, what is our purpose in this ‘race’ called our
spiritual journey? Do we know what we are working towards? Do we know
we’ll win the prize?
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