Prayer Thought February 13th, 2014

            With the beginning of the Olympics this last week, I am once again made aware of all the amazing stories of sacrifice and competition the games continue to showcase to the world. As a child my parents would allow us to stay up a little later than usual to catch a glimpse of the fierce competition and national pageantry. So many stories of inspiration have been highlighted by the games over the years. Perhaps you have heard a preacher or two talk about Eric Liddell. Eric was a sprinter for Great Britain, as well as a devout Christian, who ran in the Paris Games of 1924. Under his own conviction, he decided to sit out the 100 meters, his best race, because it was held on a Sunday and he believed it wrong for him to run.

            Because of this, he would have to compete in the 400 meters where his shortest time, compared to the other athletes, was considered average at best. But that morning as he approached the starting blocks, an American slipped a piece of paper into his hand with a quotation from 1 Samuel 2:30: "Those who honor me I will honor.” Having qualified for the outside lane he was unable to see the other runners as he sprinted for the first 200 meters. Inspired by the paper in his hand he completed the usually paced run, as a sprint, breaking the world record and capturing the gold medal.

            As I watch these athletes night after night, I wonder about their motivation. What get’s them up early every morning to push their bodies to limits most of us can only dream? What type of person trains their whole life at one particular movement or sport for a chance to compete in a contest held once every four years? Why would an individual sacrifice hours and hours each day for just a chance to stand on a podium with a medal for no more than two minutes?

            I’ll tell you what kind of person- a person who loves their sport- a person who would probably play their sport even if they weren’t Olympians. A person whom, having loved their sport, also longs for greatness and considers the journey part of the prize, even though it can’t compare.

            In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul sees a correlation between the Christian life and sports. He states:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

One of the ways that a Christian runs with self-control is by setting aside a time for prayer each day. Prayer connects us to God, focusing our attention and fueling our journey as we press on to the prize for which we are called. Will you pray with me today as we follow hard after God?

Pastor John