With hours of Olympic coverage on NBC this past weekend, I could not help but watch some intriguing sports events. One story I found interesting was Bridget Sloan, one of the female American gymnasts. She was part of the team that received a silver medal in the team all-around. What I found interesting was that her Olympic experience was finished after 2 seconds of effort. She was there to jump the vault, and that was it. The years of preparation, hard work, and commitment were complete after two seconds.
That is what astonishes me about the Olympics. The athletes are dedicated to such extremes that 2 seconds of Olympic competition justify their extensive preparation and training.
Paul tells the Corinthian church that "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."
While most of us will not even participate in one nano-second of the Olympic games. We dedicate ourselves to our careers, our families, our hobbies, and other things in our lives, but we often struggle to "go into strict training" and dedication when it comes to matters of faith. Paul's point is that our careers, our side interests, even our families will not last.
Our faith, however, can be something that carries us and pushes us forward every day. It can give us purpose to our lives, an identity greater than what we do, and hope that things will get better.
What things are priorities to your life? What are you dedicate to?
What does it mean for you to go into "strict training" in your faith life?
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