Olympic Dreams

Along with many Canadians, I have been watching our Canadian athletes and cheering them on as they competed. We were pleased to see some of them winning medals. We felt “proud” of our country each time our national anthem was played during the awards ceremony.

But, for every athlete who was honoured with a medal, there were dozens who knew defeat. Some of them will never know what it is like to take part in the awards ceremony and to hear the national anthem being played for them. They have perhaps worked just as hard, practiced just as long and sacrificed just much as those who win. For some, it was a matter of a slip or a fall, sustaining an injury before the games or perhaps just having a bad day. The disappointment must be as extreme as the excitement of being selected to go to the Games.

Aren’t you glad that salvation doesn’t come down to one day when you either receive it or not depending upon the circumstances of that one day?

God gives us time to overcome, to develop character and to prepare for our own spiritual award ceremony. We won’t hear the Canadian national anthem being played, but perhaps we will hear the Heavenly host singing as only they can!

Just as each athlete with the hope of going to the Olympics must train all year long, even so Christians must as well. Even though eternal life is a gift, growth and overcoming are still required. Scripture help us understand what we need to develop and perfect before we begin the next year of training.

Just as athletes in training must get tired at times, we, too, can become weary in our spiritual development. We are told in 1 Corinthians:9:24-27[24]Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.[25]And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.[26]I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:[27]But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. that we must continue to strive toward our goal. It will be much more valuable than any gold medal or perishable crown we could ever receive in this present world.

To read more about our potential future, download or order the free booklet, What Is Your Destiny? It can be found at: http://www.ucg.ca/booklets/what-is-your-destiny/.

Anthony Wasilkoff