Hey everybody,
I spent most of this past weekend feeling under the weather, even taking a rare sick day from work. But I took advantage of the downtime to watch hours and hours of Olympic sports. As I mentioned in last week’s Outlet, I know some were boycotting the games due to the opening ceremony. Still, I’m pretty sure I helped keep the ratings high with the hours I watched. Some of my favorites? The swimming events, gymnastics, and even women’s soccer, though I’m not typically a soccer fan. But my favorite part of the games was the track and field events. The hundred-meter dash lived up to the hype. The relays were exciting. But what truly captivated me was the women’s high jump.
It wasn’t as much the event as it was the person. Yaroslava Mahuchikh, representing Ukraine, cleared more than 6 feet and 6 inches to secure the gold medal for her nation, which has been in conflict with Russia for nearly two and a half years. Her victory brought a moment of joy to her country during a time when celebrations have been scarce. Another Ukrainian medalist remarked, “Our people finally have happy time, they can cheer us, and they can celebrate with us. Not to think about the war for one day.” Watching Mahuchikh, I was inspired by her determination to overcome immense obstacles, focusing solely on winning the prize.
Mahuchikh had a unique ritual: after each jump, she would retreat to her sleeping bag to close her eyes and refocus. She said this helped her concentrate amidst the distractions of the tens of thousands of spectators and the weight of her country’s struggles.
Several verses compare the life of following Jesus with that of an Olympic athlete training to win. One of those is found in 1 Corinthians 9, where Paul says:
Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Like Olympic athletes, we face many distractions in our journey with Jesus. Internal distractions like temptations and external ones like news cycles, social media, and workplace tensions can easily derail us. Yet, Paul reminds us to focus on the most important thing: who we are becoming. We are to become like Jesus, and this requires intentional training.
As our summer winds down, let’s recommit to practices that aid our spiritual formation and help us win the prize:
Start and end each day with focused prayer. This is our version of Mahuchikh’s sleeping bag ritual, which helps us refocus.
Read Scripture. Have you gotten distracted and forgotten about the “Year with Jesus” reading plan? It’s not too late to pick it back up. You don’t need to read all the days you missed; just start reading today. Following Jesus through the Gospels will remind you of what’s most important.
Gather with your church family weekly. A weekly recharge and refocus are a must. We need each other as we follow Jesus (that’s what this week’s message will show us).
Meet with your BeGroup. As summer ends, plan to reconnect with your small group. They provide the support and encouragement you need in your spiritual training.
As we go through life, let’s not forget that we represent Jesus to a watching world. Let’s show them who Jesus is. A watching world will take notice of a community of people who are dedicated to Jesus. And our heavenly Kingdom will cheer us on whenever we perform well. See you this week for the continuation of our series, “Extraordinary Nobodies.”
Pastor Jamey
PS - Immediately following the second service, we will have a brief Family Meeting to present the budget for the next ministry year (which begins September 1). If you are a member of Believers, I hope you will make it a priority to attend.
