As the Olympics draw to a close, Garry looked at the lessons we can learn from these Games! Preaching from 2 Timothy 2:1-7, he looked at three lessons we can learn:
(1) Suffering is inevitable in this life, but can teach us many things. Many Olympians testified to the pain and trials they had had to go through to get to that place of winning a gold medal. Rowers who trained in the rain on dark, wet mornings in Britain were perhaps, not surprisingly, not put off to be rowing in the rain during the finals! We may at times feel that God is giving us more than we can bear, but He never gives us more than we can take. If we are to overcome the suffering and trials of life, we have to keep the end view in sight. That requires visualisation, a triumph of the battle for the mind (Bradley Wiggins and other medallists have been using the help of psychiatrists to harness their minds’ power as much as training their bodies.) The vision God has given us is achievable. We have to confront the problems we face (rather like long jumper Greg Rutherford had to change his run-up in order to avoid a recurrence of the hamstring injuries which were threatening his career) in order to achieve what God has for us. Luke 22:41-42 and Hebrews 12:3-4 remind us that this is done by the choices we make. We have to count everything else a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ (Phil 3:7-8).
(2) Support is necessary in this life. All the Olympians needed support and encouragement – from friends, from family, from fellow sportsmen and from the crowd. We are surrounded by a great crowd of witnesses and Hebrews 3 reminds us to encourage each other daily. The Holy Spirit comes alongside us to encourage, counsel, comfort and support us and we too are required to be like Him in coming alongside our fellow believers and urging them to continue with their walk of faith.
(3) God promises rewards for all who finish. Rowers Mark Hunter and Zac Purchase narrowly missed gold in the double sculls and were completely exhausted and devastated not to have won. They felt that they had let the whole nation down and were tearfully apologetic after the race. But even those who did win and who have such marvellous memories to sustain them will find that the memories will fade…
On the Isle of Man, the winning cyclist Peter Kennaugh was honoured by having a postbox in Onchan painted gold. That will remain gold for a limited period of time, however.
Jessica Ennis, the Sheffield athlete who won the heptathlon, was interviewed last Sunday and was desperate to ‘soak in the atmosphere… to remember the culmination of a dream’. At some point, though, the memories will fade.
God has promised for all of us who finish the race a crown that will never perish, fade or spoil. We have an eternal reward ahead that is far greater than any Olympic medal. He promises to give great rewards to all who overcome. We may never win a race in this life, but if we finish well in life, faithfully serving God with all we have, then we will hear His ‘Well done, good and faithful servant’ and receive rewards that are eternal and will never perish.