John and I are enjoying watching the Winter Olympics.  My favorite is the figure skating; his favorite is the downhill jump.  But, we have watched some in all the sports since they came on this year.  I am not athletic, so it just amazes me to watch these athletes perform such feats.  Most of them have trained for this event since they were very young.  A report told of one young man being on skis since the age of two.  What did his parents do?  Put him on the slopes as soon as he started walking?  LOL

There are coaches; there are lessons; there are daily routines that must be accomplished in order for these athletes to reach their goals.  A lot of discipline must be in place.  And, it all comes down to a few minutes to perform.  The performances are judged in the hands of a few people.  Wow, talk about your life being put under a microscope!  And, some events come down to a tenth of a second.   Every move they make counts!

What if we took our spiritual life as seriously as these athletes take their Olympic ambitions?  What if we had a daily regimen of prayer, reading and meditating on the Word?  What if we had a daily exercise of using our “hands and feet” for Christ’s kingdom?  We’re in a race called LIFE.  We are headed towards a goal, and as a Christian, that should be to win the prize of being with God in a heavenly kingdom.  Our ultimate prize is eternal life with Him!  The Olympic gold pales in comparison to what those “streets of gold” will look like.  Let’s run this race with endurance and excellence where those around us will know that we are in training for something bigger than we have right now!

“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.”   (1 Corinthians 9: 25 NIV)