Pressing On When It's Hard: Training as a Spiritual Olympian

 By Ann Weaver.

 

Photo Credits: Ann.

This summer, the entire world turned its eyes upon the Olympic Games* in Paris. There, contestants brought all their life skills to one moment, competing in the largest sports event on earth.

Though there are thousands of contestants and dozens of sports in the Olympic Games, each contestant had one thing in common: their perseverance. It took hours of training, discouragement, exhaustion, and injuries to get to the games. But they strove for years because they wanted the highest of all competitive honors: a gold medal from the Olympic Games.

And it’s all for earthly glory. A few moments of fame, a picture-perfect life. Without warning, it could be snatched away from them. But they still throw their whole heart and soul into it.

Though these competitors' focus in life is wrong, we can learn a lot about perseverance from them. Their commitment is incredible. I’m sure they often felt they would never make it, but they pressed on anyway. For hours each day, they trained and worked towards their goal. That kind of diligence is commendable.

Why can’t we bring that same level of perseverance to the Christian life? How honored God would be if we would bring half the enthusiasm and commitment that these Olympians bring to their sport! Just as a runner’s muscles grow stronger as he trains, so we’d grow stronger in the Lord as we read His Word. 

Part of being an Olympian is training for the big event. It’s how they work towards their goal, how they prepare for what their heart has been set on. What do these Olympians do to strengthen themselves?

 

 

1: They make time to practice.

 

What’s most important to an Olympic competitor? His sport, of course. As everyone does, he makes time for what is most important to him. He trains for hours, in all weathers, and in all seasons. Though an outdoor competitor may not be able to practice in prime conditions, he will still find a way to keep himself in shape indoors. He would still take the time to keep training. 

We, too, should make time for what is most important to us: reading the Word, praying, and meditating on it. Even when times are busy or we aren’t feeling like it, it’s still vital to ensure we are keeping up our spiritual muscles.

 

 

2: They have a good diet.

 

The diet of an Olympian is wholesome, healthy, and strengthens his body. There is no cheating allowed, or it will hinder his performance. Breakfast, lunch, supper, and even snacks are carefully regulated to keep him in top shape.

In the same way, we should make sure our books, media, and even thoughts are directly in line with what is laid out in Philippians 4:8: “Finally brethren, whatever is true, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”

No wayward thought or secret book should ever hinder what God commands. As a general rule, I'd say idle thoughts are like eating random junk food, and bad thoughts are like eating pure sugar. Not something a spiritual Olympian should allow themselves to feed on!

 

 

3: They have accountability.

 

Most Olympians train with others around them. They have people helping them and a team to encourage them. A contestant won’t get much done if no one encourages him or helps him to do better. He would probably lose his goal, his motivation, and the sight of his final goal in the difficulty of the moment.

Having a group to study with or be accountable to in your Bible reading is like an Olympian’s team. It will remind you that you’re not alone, keep you accountable, and be a great encouragement. If there aren’t any groups at your church or in your friend group, I encourage you to form your own. Good competitors need good teams around them!

 

 

4: They have a good coach. 

 

The Olympian’s coach is vital to his success. He teaches him the skills he needs to win. He keeps him going when he feels like he can’t. He makes sure he doesn’t push himself until he burns out. He’s more experienced than the Olympian, and is always there for them if something goes wrong.

Mentors are much like coaches. They’re wiser than you and much more experienced, and they’ll push you to grow in the Lord. Having a mentor is not always possible, but it is wonderful to have one to encourage your walk with the Lord. (Don't forget: your mother and father are a great option!)

 

 

5: They practice all aspects of training.

 

Does a runner run all day? Does a gymnast perform continuous flips? Does a swimmer only swim? Of course not! Stretching, exercising, and weightlifting may not be part of an Olympian’s sport, but they’re all part of his training.

What are ways we can keep in spiritual movement? Some ways include memorizing Bible verses and being with other Christians. Sure, a runner could run all day or a person could read the Bible all day long. However, using other ways to keep up your muscles is important to your spiritual well-being as well.

 

 

In the end, the biggest aspect of an Olympian’s training is his persistence. He would get nowhere if he didn’t do anything when he was tired, didn’t feel like it, or was in a bad mood. He keeps on with his training, his diet, and his time, until he finally steps into the arena as a true Olympic competitor. 

Just as an Olympian might falter, it's easy to stumble in our walk with the Lord. Just as an Olympian may feel as if his training is going nowhere, it’s easy to become discouraged in our walk with God. Just as an Olympian works towards his final goal as a gold medalist, we work towards, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Yet we have a goal far greater than any Olympian, and at our race's end we will see Jesus’ face. The flash of fame is but a moment, but He will be there for all eternity. And that’s greater than any gold medal in the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Though I use an Olympian competitor as an example throughout this article, I do NOT condone anything that happened at the Olympics this year. (If you haven’t heard about it, I do not suggest reading about it. It’s horrible.) This example was thought of before any of those things happened, and so I decided to keep using it. Because of the shocking things that took place at the event, I did not personally watch any of the Olympics.

 

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