Lessons from the Games

A few more thoughts on the Olympics before my brain gets back into thinking about things upcoming.  Like autumn, school, tonight's dinner, etc...

The spiritual lesson from hurdling: 

There are going to be obstacles in life.  If you stop to focus on them, they'll seem bigger.  Keep your momentum, stay on the path God has you on, and don't break your stride.

"Call upon Me in the day of trouble; 

   I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me." 

Psalm 50:15

The spiritual lesson from swimming relays:

Do YOUR thing the best you can.  Your teammate might be doing the backstroke, or the breaststroke, when you've been called to do the butterfly.  Do the butterfly.

"Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, 

'But Lord, what about this man?'  

Jesus said to him, '... what is that to you?  

   You follow Me.' "

John 21:21-22

The spiritual lesson about coaches:
God has put someone in your life to encourage, challenge and edify you.  He expects you to do the same for someone else.

"Therefore let us pursue

the things which make for peace 

and the things by which one may edify another."

Romans 14:19

The spiritual lesson regarding arrogant athletes:
It doesn't matter how hard you've worked.  Your body, your skill, your tenacity are a gift.  Same with your eyes and ears, your arms and legs, your heart and lungs.

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, 

and comes down from the Father of lights, 

with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." 

James 1:17

The spiritual lesson from the athletes' apparel:
Strip away anything in your life that might hold you down, or encumber you.  He expects us to do much, with little.

"And He said to them, 'Take nothing for the journey, 

neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; 

and do not have two tunics apiece.' " 

Luke 9:3

The spiritual lesson from falling:
Finish what you start.  If your task, if your journey is not done, then pick yourself back up and finish what you started.

"Let us not grow weary while doing good, 

for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart."

Galatians 6:9

The spiritual lesson from success:
Hard work is mandatory, and it is never wasted.

"You have persevered and have patience, 

and have labored for My name's sake 

and have not become weary."

Revelation 2:3

~