We have read and heard about the achievements of various participants at the recent Athens Olympics. The Australian Open Tennis matches starts this Monday and the Commonwealth Games will soon be hosted in Melbourne. The world’s press reports on prime time television and newspaper headline news about the gold medals won, the record times, distances and weights achieved, the exhilaration, joy and contentment of each successful athlete after years of practice. Likewise stories abound also about the sadness, discouragement and heavy hearts of the losers.

As Christians, we too have our race to run. We run our race like Olympians to win, and win we must for the Glory of God. Therefore “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.” 1 Corinthians 9:24

In the words of a beautiful hymn written by Esther Rusthor ("When We See Christ"):
“ It will be worth it all when we see Jesus.
Life's trials will seem so small when we see Christ;
One glimpse of His dear face all sorrow will erase.
So, bravely run the race till we see Christ."

There are many things we can observe from athletes and let their motivation challenge us to strive for our best service to God.

Obedience

Athletes train under instruction of their coach and have to be obedient, following advice and instruction on various techniques. In each race, they have to obey rules of conduct - when to start, how to start, what is allowed or disallowed (performance enhancing drugs). Likewise to win in our Christian race we have to be obedient to God’s Word. “And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.” 2 Timothy 2:5

Obey, always observing instructions as written in the Bible, for “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” Joshua 1:8

Self discipline

We read stories of the discipline that our gold medal swimmers adhere to. The waking up before dawn breaks and the trips to the swimming pool for several hours training even during the cold nights of winter. The diets they follow, eating correctly to nourish their bodies and the performance reducing foods they must avoid. Christians need to be disciplined. We must be disciplined to daily read our Bibles, to be punctual when attending Sunday service, to be quiet in the Lord’s house, to dress appropriately, to switch off our mobile phones during service and meetings and to listen to the sermons attentively. Therefore “….let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, [2] Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;…” Hebrews 12: 1 -2

Accomplishment

An Olympian trains toward that moment when he or she mounts the podium to receive the gold medal and to hear their national anthem played aloud. Often you see the emotionally charged look on their face as they savour their reward culminating from the years of dedicated training toward their sport.

Our reward is eternal life in heaven having a mansion in our heavenly Father’s house. Better than the mansions in Springfield! Let us encourage each other and fix our eyes, thoughts and our hearts on Jesus that we may obtain our reward in heaven. “So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.” Psalms 58:11

Team work

From the relay races in swimming and running to matches such as soccer, water polo and volleyball, Olympians train together as a team and achieve results as a team. A team member that is weak physically or in mind can be a let down for the entire team resulting in the entire team’s defeat. We do remember the controversy in the women’s team rowing event.
Thank God for all the Hopefuls who work as a team for the Lord. The choir who practise and sing for God’s glory, the working bee who spend time as a team of cheerful workers to upkeep the Lord’s house, the young adults who go out as a team to evangelise and the many who work so hard each year for the Christmas concert.

Endurance and bravery

The marathon and triathlon come to mind as examples of human endurance as participants compete against each other to outlast the distance in record time. Watch the faces of the weightlifters as they grimace and struggle as they endure to lift ever heavier weights, the boxers, wrestlers, judokas and tae kwan do exponents as they drum up their courage to spar with each other enduring much physical pain.

The world does not sometimes take kindly to Christians. We may be faced with ridicule, belittlement, targeted for rebuke and Christian martyrs face physical punishment and sometimes death. However we are challenged by Paul’s example, “According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.” Philippians 1:20

Role models

Like any victorious Olympian, we must be aware that we affect many as role models, as parents, at our work place as managers and sometimes because of our occupations such as teachers. In our daily interactions with non believers “but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12. Let Jesus be our role model “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:”1 Peter 2:21.

Dn David Yeo

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