Eyes on the prize
Olympic fever has taken over our screens, our news feeds and for many of us, our conversations. Maybe you are a big fan; watching the medal tally with keen interest, cheering on the Aussies every chance you get, and even becoming a bit emotional when you listen to the post race interviews. Or maybe you’re just not that interested in watching people poke each other with a fairly blunt sword, or run around and around in a big circle, or try and jump over a really high bar with a long bendy stick.
But either way, how can you not admire the determination and the focus of the athletes? I can only imagine the preparation that must go into training and being ready to compete at in international level. The level of self-discipline an athlete must have when preparing for an event, is just amazing. Everything they do is with the end goal in mind – winning.
With their eyes firmly on their goal, athletes are prepared to work hard, to make many sacrifices and to go without. But they must believe it is all worth it, otherwise surely they wouldn’t bother.
The image of an athlete training to race, is used many times in the Bible when talking about the Christian life. There are many similarities. Just as a sprinter sees the goal and let’s nothing distract him, as followers of Christ we are to make Christ our focus. Our goal is to be as much like Christ now in this world, and ultimately be made perfectly Christ-like in heaven. Philippians 3:13,14 says “..But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
And just as an athlete knows that some things are counter-productive and even harmful to their training and preparation eg bad foods, laziness, lack of sleep, so it is for Christians. In Hebrew 12:1,2 Paul says “…let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith…”
An Olympic athlete strives for the prize of winning a medal. Yet this medal will spoil and fade. As Christians we strive for a prize that is imperishable; a crown of life (James 1:12), a crown of righteousness (2 Tim 4:8), a true victor’s crown (Rev 2:10). 1 Corinthians 9:24,25 reminds us of our eternal prize, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run is 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.”
At the end of these Olympics games, there will be some athletes who are winners. There will also be many, many athletes who fail to win. Either way the race has been run. It is over. And one day our race will be done. It is my prayer that when that time comes you and I can say as Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:7,8 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Therefore, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”
Blessings Caroline
