My family loves the Olympics. It is on 24/7 at our house, and causes dark circles under our eyes from staying up late. It is a beautiful sight to see when all the nations of the world come together under the banner of peaceful competition.
We are fascinated, and inspired, by each story of how an athlete got to the Olympic Games. Most, if not all, have had to endure hardship and struggle to attain the dream of being a representative for their country. Some athletes have to leave their family at a young age to go train. Parents make financial sacrifices to see their children accomplish a dream. One swimmer said he has not ordered a dessert in over two years (that was like a slug in our abs). When you have a dream, you set your sights on the end result and make the preparations needed to attain that goal. Chocolate pales in comparison to having an Olympic Medal around your neck.
Pastor Jim recently preached on how we need to set our sight on the end result in our personal lives. He reminded us that we were all created by God with a purpose, and desire to make a difference in life, which is confirmation that there is a God. If we were just particles that came together over millions of years, we would not have this longing to be something, which is what God fulfills.
28 And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. - 1 John 2:28
This verse reminds us that there is a day that we will stand before Christ, and we should live our life in a way that makes us confident and prepared to meet Him. Jesus is the ultimate goal. Striving to be like him is not easy. It comes at a cost of standing up for something that is Biblical (Chick-fil-A), or giving up an addiction that has become bigger than your relationship with Christ. It might mean getting up on Sunday early when you want to sleep in, or taking extra time in the morning to be in God's Word.
Pastor Jim had a wonderful visual for us when talking about goals. He got out a telescope that started out small (think of a pirates' scope) and then stretched out to allow him to see further. He used this to illustrate that we need to stretch ourselves and look far out in the distance to what we want to be. We should want to be like Jesus. We won't can never be perfect, but we could be faithful.
Shouldn't our goal be to hear the words, "Well done my good and faithful servant." This may require some sacrifice, and it may hurt at times, but the medal around your neck will be worth it.
Sandy
