May the mumbling commence!
We are only about a month away from the Summer Olympics in London. We will see athletes from around the world competing for their country’s honor. What we see is only the culmination of a lifetime’s worth of work. There is so much blood, sweat and tears that we do not see. It takes enormous self-discipline. Read from First Corinthians chapter nine:
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. (Verses 24-27)
The peak of the Olympics is the gold medal. Gold is the road pavement of heaven. Though gold will last a long time, it will not last forever. But, to receive a gold medal requires much hard work. These athletes have been in strict training – some of them for their entire lives. Only a precious few of them get a medal at all (bronze and silver included).
And time and age and injury are not kind. Olympians compete only for a small fraction of their lifetime. Any medal that they have won slowly loses its luster, because they can no longer compete at that high level.
It is the same for the professional sports in America. Athletes train hard to achieve professionalism in their sports. They often sacrifice their bodies and minds to earn the privilege of being paid to play a game – sometimes millions of dollars. It is the dream of many athletic youths. So few people achieve professional status.
And those people that do pay a high price for the fame and fortune. It is often hidden from our eyes, but it is there. We see more and more of it as the truth comes out about the brain and other injuries that former NFL players suffer from.
All of this blood, sweat and tears for a prize that does not last. In fact, the prize is but a flash in the pan in the context of eternity. There is a much higher goal to attain that requires just as much self-discipline.
May you and I bend our bodies, minds, souls and spirits to the will of God. May you and I walk the walk that we know the Spirit of God is calling us to walk. May we walk the walk so that we can preach the gospel to others without disqualification.
May we run in a way that we try to get first place. May we run competing and knowing that we are in more of a relay race. May we realize that the godly contest in one more of cooperation than competition. May we stop and help others who are struggling. Together we can run the race better.
The prize is eternal life with our Lord Jesus Christ. That prize will last. Let us make the steps together and arrive with company!
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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