If Olympians can dedicate so much of their lives to such a short-lived victory—if one little medal is that important to them—how much more energy should we devote to a bigger and far more significant race?
The Olympic Games: in their early years they weren't so sophisticated. They originally consisted of only one event—the stadion. Competitors and spectators alike would gather for the roughly 180-meter-long footrace, where the winner was crowned with a wreath as a symbol of victory and prestige.
By the first century A.D., the 800-year-old Games had evolved to include a wider variety of events—everything from boxing to javelin hurling. But the stadion and the victor's crown continued to play a very prominent role.
So it shouldn't come as a surprise that the apostle Paul—a Roman citizen—used a footrace and the winner's wreath as an analogy for a Christian's life. He wrote, "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" (1 Corinthians 9:24-25, NIV).
Our modern-day Olympians have trained hard. They have worked themselves mentally and physically to gain the temperance necessary to excel in their chosen events. During these Winter Olympics in Vancouver, they've been expending tremendous efforts as they push themselves to outperform the world's best athletes. Their every thought, every action, and every breath propel them toward the victory they strive for.
As we've seen, the events of the Olympics can be over in minutes, even seconds, and the fame that accompanies a victory can be just as fleeting. But the men and women who reached the Olympics compete because they know what they are competing for. They strive for victory because in their minds the prize is valuable enough to fight for.
Now this raises a question: if Olympians can dedicate so much of their lives to such a short-lived victory—if one little medal is that important to them—how much more energy should we devote to a bigger and far more significant race?
At the end of his life, Paul again returned to the analogy of a race. He wrote to Timothy, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing" (2 Timothy 4:7-8, NLT).
Paul saw the prize waiting for him at the end of his race. It drove him to overcome any obstacle in his way. And he tells us in no uncertain terms that the same crown—eternal life as sons and daughters in the Kingdom of God—awaits everyone willing to run for it.
The Olympians have been competing for small golden circles. You can compete for immortality.
Are you ready to start running?
The Olympic Games: in their early years they weren't so sophisticated. They originally consisted of only one event—the stadion. Competitors and spectators alike would gather for the roughly 180-meter-long footrace, where the winner was crowned with a wreath as a symbol of victory and prestige.
By the first century A.D., the 800-year-old Games had evolved to include a wider variety of events—everything from boxing to javelin hurling. But the stadion and the victor's crown continued to play a very prominent role.
So it shouldn't come as a surprise that the apostle Paul—a Roman citizen—used a footrace and the winner's wreath as an analogy for a Christian's life. He wrote, "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" (1 Corinthians 9:24-25, NIV).
Our modern-day Olympians have trained hard. They have worked themselves mentally and physically to gain the temperance necessary to excel in their chosen events. During these Winter Olympics in Vancouver, they've been expending tremendous efforts as they push themselves to outperform the world's best athletes. Their every thought, every action, and every breath propel them toward the victory they strive for.
As we've seen, the events of the Olympics can be over in minutes, even seconds, and the fame that accompanies a victory can be just as fleeting. But the men and women who reached the Olympics compete because they know what they are competing for. They strive for victory because in their minds the prize is valuable enough to fight for.
Now this raises a question: if Olympians can dedicate so much of their lives to such a short-lived victory—if one little medal is that important to them—how much more energy should we devote to a bigger and far more significant race?
At the end of his life, Paul again returned to the analogy of a race. He wrote to Timothy, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing" (2 Timothy 4:7-8, NLT).
Paul saw the prize waiting for him at the end of his race. It drove him to overcome any obstacle in his way. And he tells us in no uncertain terms that the same crown—eternal life as sons and daughters in the Kingdom of God—awaits everyone willing to run for it.
The Olympians have been competing for small golden circles. You can compete for immortality.
Are you ready to start running?
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