Being an Olympic Follower of Christ
“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become tired or grow weary; There is no searching of His understanding. He gives strength to the weary, and to him who has no might He increases power. Even youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, but those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] will gain new strength and renew their power; they will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun]; They will run and not become weary, They will walk and not grow tired. (Isaiah 40:28-31, AMP)
“I had no idea you were so crazy about the Olympics.”
That’s what my husband said when I rolled out of bed first thing on Friday and asked him to please set up the live feed so I could watch the opening ceremony at the Tokyo Olympics. And yes, to an extent, he wouldn’t know this about me. The last real Olympic games we had was 2016, which was two years before we’d start dating. And since he’s met me, I hate watching sports games. But for some reason, when the Olympics are on, I’m glued to dozens of events, rooting for the USA and marvelling at my favorite athletes.
This is a side of me he hasn’t yet seen. But I think the reason I love the Olympics so much is because it is a showcase of the very best the world has to offer: the strongest, the fastest, and the most agile. I love watching athletes perform stunts and play games I could never dream of doing at a level I could never be. There is something truly beautiful about watching someone climb to the pinnacle of something and achieve feats I could never imagine.
And while I could never hope to be an Olympic athlete, as my interests don’t include running, lifting, or really even sweating, I think it goes to the very core of every human being to want to be deeply and truly great at something. We may not all be incredible athletes, but just like any Olympian, we all have the same 24 hours in each day to be great at something.
What does that mean? We all have the time to put our minds to something and develop a discipline to become great. Musicians dedicate their time to becoming world-class instrumentalists. Amateur cooks spend years honing their crafts to become renowned chefs at five star restaurants. So when I think about my life, what is the one thing I want to be known for?
I think, more than my ability to write and communicate, more than my love of music and art, more than my interest in any of my hobbies or passions, I want to be known for a deep understanding of God’s character, a solid realization of scripture, and an uncanny resemblance to Jesus.
That’s what I’d like to be great at. And if I’m to take a page from any of the awesome Olympians I’ve been watching on TV, I gather it will take three commitments on my part.
A clear vision on what it takes to be great and how to accomplish that.
“So we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen; for the things which are visible are temporal [just brief and fleeting], but the things which are invisible are everlasting and imperishable.” (2 Corinthians 4:18, AMP)
An Olympian doesn’t just decide that they want to be the best one day in their mid-20s. They grow up visualizing and dreaming about it. They intention themselves to focus on that goal daily. Just the same way, we have to set our minds on following Jesus. There is a prayer I pray constantly: Lord, help me to live a life where you are a part of my daily thought life. Help me to remember you constantly and center my focus on you.
Because sometimes, I need help. Sometimes, my focus is off. But if my goal is to go deeper with Jesus, then I have to have a better vision and one that constantly reminds me to turn my attention towards Him.
A consistent and daily routine that builds up endurance towards accomplishing that vision
“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to follow Me[as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me].’” (Matthew 16:24, AMP)
An Olympian has to remain a constant student. They have to attend practice daily, conditioning their bodies to accomplish the impossible and building muscle that can rise to the occasion in the heat of competition. For us, if we’re trying to build a steadfast faith in an unchanging God that can withstand an entire life of highs and lows, we need to make a habit of daily working ourselves to stretch and strengthen our faith.
It doesn’t happen overnight. Perhaps we grow up in church believing one thing, but in order to mature your faith, you have to look beyond what you took on as gospel just because that’s what you were told. You have to search scripture yourself and ask God to reveal to you what is truth and what is gospel according to man. There are still things I’m learning and unlearning today, that I always believed was truth, but doesn’t hold up next to scripture and therefore has to be tested in my spirit and studied in the Word.
And that’s not something you can figure out overnight like a cram-session before a final test. That’s something that takes a lifetime of refining and building.
A community of like-minded people that push towards the goal together.
“But I urge and entreat you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in perfect harmony and full agreement in what you say, and that there be no dissensions orfactions or divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in your common understanding and in your opinions and judgments.” (1 Corinthians 1:10, AMP)
An Olympian doesn’t get to where they are by themselves. Along the way, there are countless coaches, family members, friends, and teammates that all work together to get to that stage. As they say, it takes a village. Why? Because there are mentors out there that know more than they do and can help to guide them. There are teammates that are there to go through the work with them and keep the same focus they have. There are confidantes that encourage them in moments of low morale to keep their sights on that goal.
The point? There are many people that help an athlete to stay on track to becoming an Olympian. The same goes for our goal of going from a baby Christian to a transformed follower of Christ. You need like-minded people to help you, share with you, experience with you, and encourage you to stay the path.
So today, your encouragement is this: It’s never too late to start diving deeper into your faith. You have enough time in the day. You have the same amount of time in your day as Michael Phelps, Simone Biles, and Usain Bolt. Just imagine what would happen if you allocated your time to being as disciplined to strengthening your faith.
