I grew up around Seattle and Renton, and since then I have had a good chunk of my life living in Thurston County in Lacey and Olympia. I guess I can say, with a certain degree of humility, I am an Olympian! But certainly, not an athlete. My only ‘medals’ are from Boy Scouts, and those were cloth badges.
Maybe like you, my wife & I try to catch some of the Olympic highlights of the day from London. I’m not that curious on which country has the most medals, but much more interested in seeing the personal accomplishments.
We often watch in awe the skillful mastery these super athletes demonstrate in their chosen sport, like Olympic record holder swimmer Michael Phelps and gymnast Gabby Douglas.
It’s pretty safe to say no one enters this competition accidentally. In fact, it takes a lot of qualities that we all should embrace as a living, breathing follower of Jesus. Staying focused on the goal. Daily training. Passion for perosnal excellence. Having tenacity. Encouraging teamates. In short, being intentional.
I also empathize with the pressure these athletes have of performing ‘mistake free’ before the eyes of critical judges. You have to admit that’s tough.
Thankfully, God doesn’t view us with unloving, unforgiving eyes. Contrary to the broadly accepted myth, He’s not looking for our mistakes just to condemn us. There are times He may not choose to intercede when danger looms, or when bad things happen as we cry out ‘why’… but He sees a much bigger picture for each of us far beyond those difficult seasons.
Paul says this in Acts 20: ‘I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.’
There’s a gold medal and a whole lot more that awaits you. Let’s be intentional every day God gives us the breath to do so!
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