The Most Obvious Spiritual Illustration of the Decade

Two weeks ago my wife told me how excited she was to watch the upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing. She was surprised that I was not as excited as she was to watch the Games. It was my opinion, and has been for quite some time, that the Olympics is the time in which sports that do not matter whatsoever get air-time every four years. And we, like lemmings, watch and cheer for the American Bad-Minton Team, the Czech Trap Shooting Individualist, and the American Women’s 20km Speed Walking Team (yes, its an actual Olympic Event: Competitive Walking).

But Sara convinced me to watch the Games the opening weekend. On Sunday night, I was skeptically watching the Men’s swimming when something happened. Suddenly I was overcome by a deep feeling and fan fair. Suddenly, Michael Phelps mattered to me. Suddenly I had to have eight gold medals. I was overcome with passion for an entire week of my life. I watched all 17 of Michael Phelps races. I watched him break 8 world records while winning 8 gold medals. I celebrated with his mother as if I was in the stands with her. I was even a little hoarse on Monday morning after screaming so loudly during Jason Lezak’s come behind victory over the French swimmers to secure for Phelps his second gold medal of the competition.

On Sunday afternoon, a special was aired on Phelps about his training and how he came to be the greatest swimmer of all time. From the time of 11-years-old, Michael Phelps’ entire life was consumed by swimming. He trained nearly every single day. Everything he did was in pursuit of victory. What he ate, how much he slept, who his friends were, where he went to school, what he did in his free-time, EVERYTHING! Also, everything that he neglected was because of swimming. All the sports he didn’t play. All the girls he didn’t date. All the high school moments he missed out on because of practice and dedication. Giving up his childhood every single day in hope of a future that was completely uncertain.

But on August 17th, after going a perfect 8 for 8, it was all worth it. All the practice, the weight training, the dedication. The sacrifice was not in vain. The sacrifice of time, friends, and a social life suddenly seemed like nothing compared to the victory that had just been achieved.

It truly did encourage me in my spiritual life. Paul says in Philippians that he counted “all as loss” that did not pertain to Christ. In this Christian life, we are modeling our entire lives in pursuit of a future goal. And often times, for a future that seems uncertain.

Isaiah 40:31 says, “Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength…” The word wait means to order ones current activities around a future event.

Our lives are not our own. Rather, we are living them for Christ. For His glory. In response to His sacrifice. We are waiting on Him. As Christians, we can take encouragement from the Olympics. Everything we do now must be with the perspective of the future prize. What we eat and do not eat. What we spend our time on and what we don’t spend it on. Where we are in our free time. Who are friends are. Phelps sacrificed every single day of his young life, and it paid off. He didn’t just wait until a month before the Olympics and decide to wake up 30 minutes early and swim. His sacrifice was his life.

We do not have a scheduled competition. We do not know when our games begin and end. I believe this is because we are both training and competing simultaneously at all times. We can both win and practice every moment of our lives (which means we can also lose). Greatness is not created on some stage or podium or in some pool in Beijing. Rather, Greatness is forged when no one is looking. Early in the morning and late at night. During times when others are involved with the cares of this world. Our goal cannot be reached in the moment, but rather in all the moments between then and now.

I hope that I can continue to be encouraged and reminded by these Games. Sacrifice and purposeful neglect are painful yet very powerful. There is power in not living for now. We wait on the Lord not by sitting and looking, but rather by jumping in the pool while everyone else is at the Prom. We change what we do in the present because of what we know will come in the future.