No Absolutes Exist

NO ABSOLUTES EXIST in the sports world. As Gail Devers learned in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, a sure thing can turn unexpectedly bad.

Devers, who had battled Graves disease four years earlier, captured a surprise gold medal in the 100 meters at the Games in Spain. With one gold in hand, the former UCLA sprinter aimed for a second gold in her best event—the 100-meter hurdles. The sprint/hurdles first-place combination would match Fanny Blankers-Koen’s accomplishment in the 1948 London Games.

In the finale, Gail took command after the fourth hurdle and appeared to have a cinch victory with only one hurdle remaining. But as she approached the final barrier, her lead foot glanced the hurdle and sent her sprawling onto the track.

Quickly rolling to her hands and knees, Devers crawled the final eight meters and finished in fifth place.

After barely qualifying with a third-place finish in her semifinal heat, Greece’s Paraskevi Patoulidou emerged as the unexpected victor with a time of 12.64 seconds. The 27-year-old athlete claimed the first Olympic gold medal for Greece since 1912 when Konstantin Tsiklitiris won the standing broad jump.

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POINT Gail Devers caught her foot on the last hurdle and fell to the track, out of medal contention. The obstacle prevented the athlete from an anticipated win.

The Bible says that people who give you advice contrary to God’s Word are putting obstacles in your way. And just like Devers learned, any obstacle can cause problems.

While we can’t avoid all ungodly ideas and advice, we can be prepared. Walking daily with God in prayer and grounding ourselves in Scripture help us recognize people who might lead us astray. Then we can avoid them.

GOAL! Do your friends give you advice and encourage you to do things that honor God or dishonor him? Ask God to keep you grounded and help you stay away from people who are an obstacle to your walk with Jesus.