I've been watching the Olympics quite a bit these last few evenings. Amid the coverage of the actual events the network throws in all these stories about the different athletes and how they have trained and prepared for the games. Many of them have sacrificed years of being away from family and have given up living a "normal" life. And relative to the number of athletes present and the quality of the competition, the odds for most of them of winning any medal at all are very slim. Yet still they press on, making their bodies be faster and stronger and more enduring, just for the chance to compete while the world watches and cheers.
Then it hits me, what a pathetic, slothful Christian I am. I can hardly keep consistency in my daily walk and devotions. A simple thing like getting out of bed early often seems like too big a sacrifice to make. The athletes' lives are consumed by their passion for their sport. And even after years of training they have no assurance that they will even make the team. But anyone who calls on Jesus will be saved. And victory is already secured. The prize I strive for is so much better than some medallion awarded every four years. I need to beat my mind, my body and especially my will into submission in a more fervent pursuit of godliness and righteousness. Just think what a difference it would make in our world if all Christians were consumed with Olympic-like fervor.
