The 2008 Olympics are well underway. Athletes from all over the world are competing for medals and recognition as the "best of the best" in their sport. Some of the physical feats that are being accomplished are truly remarkable. World records are being broken on a daily basis.
There are many lessons to be learned from the athletes. Excellence, perseverance, dedication, and hard work are just a few. The stories that are coming out of the games are truly inspiring.
The Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 9:24-27 used an athletic comparison to make a spiritual application:
Do you not know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Now everyone who competes exercises self control in everything. However, they do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. Therefore I do not run like one who runs aimlessly, or box like one who beats the air. Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
The Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals of this life will eventually fade away. Even the greatest of today's athletes will one day be nothing more than a name in a record book.
As followers of Jesus Christ, we are to discipline ourselves and run with a greater purpose. We run for the glory of God and to fulfill His calling and purpose for our lives. We are to see life with an eternal perspective.
So, as you watch the games, enjoy. They are intriguing. But watch them and see them through a spiritual lens and the race that God has called you to.
Posts
