I love watching the Olympics. I’ve found that watching the Olympic coverage while I’m exercising helps pass the time very quickly and is a great motivator. I was inspired as I watched young athletes go for the gold. Before I knew it, I had already done 45 minutes, worked out my muscles using free weights and was stretching to cool down. Where had the time gone? This is the way to work out; get your mind off the immediate and often difficult challenge. The athletes had to set their goals and maintain a vigorous and focused schedule in order to achieve them. I'm sure they had to eliminate many distractions so they could stay focused. Keeping your eyes on the prize helps get through times when it would be tempting to give up.
I watch someone like Michael Phelps, who has spent years in training for this moment. The fruit of that training and skill is being seen as he is accumulating many Olympic gold medals for his swimming. What an inspiration!
Although we may not be Olympic athletes, we have each been created with our own unique gifts and abilities. You may be a teacher, a stay at home mom, a business executive or a coach. Whatever it is, are you working to the best of your ability? The Bible says in Colossians 3:23 "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."
One of my favorite movies of all time is Chariots of Fire. It takes place during the Paris Olympic games of 1924. Eric Liddell is a runner but he's also a missionary to China. I think the best line in the movie is when he and his sister are discussing his running. She thinks he's wasting his time and talents and that he should be back on the mission field. But Eric gently tells her that he was created to run fast and when he runs he feels God's pleasure.
Every time I hear that line, I get chills. I want to do my best in whatever I'm created and gifted to do. And I want to feel God's pleasure. How about you? Is there something you do well and when you do it, you can almost feel God's pleasure?
Funny I should read this today, while vacuuming I was listening to the Chariots of Fire theme song and began contemplating on that movie. Anyways.
ReplyDeleteSometimes, I find God has you work where you think you have no abilities at all. So when you succeed you know it was all because of HIM working through you.
Great post.
Isn't that the truth! Sometimes we get in the way.
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