I love the Olympic Games – summer or winter. I love the competition, the push for excellence, the spirit of the games, the beauty, the pageantry – all of that is inspiring to me!
But I also like the fact that the Olympics have direct historical connection to the New Testament. Paul talks about the “games” in his letter to the church at Corinth. Actually, there were two national games in Greece during Paul’s day—the Olympic Games near Mount Olympus and the Pan-Isthmanian Games held in Corinth. The Corinthians, then, under-stood Paul’s analogy perfectly.
In I Corinthians 9:24-27 Paul makes a strong spiritual application of the “games” to our walk or should I say “run” with God.
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run, therefore, to win!”
In other words – Go for the gold!
And then he suggests that the one thing necessary for that to happen is SELF-DESCIPLINE. Olympic athletes keep themselves in perfect shape through strict training. They work hard at it. Eat, sleep, breathe their event. But then Paul drives home the point with the Corinthian believers – “They do all of this for a perishable crown; how much more diligent should we be, striving for an ETERNAL crown! WOW!
So “adding” things for Lent might include adding SELF-DISCIPLINE—consistent daily prayer and Bible Study, faithful attendance and participation in church events, an intentionality for witnessing and serving. Let’s go for the Gold – Let’s go for God!
Running for Team Jesus,
Stan
Posted on
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
by Stan Cosby