God's Coaching #209

God's Coaching #209

At the 2004 Summer Olympics, US super heavyweight weight lifter Shane Hamman stood five-feet-nine-inches tall and measured five-feet-two-inches around. Shane’s barrel-sized chest had been built through years of farm work in Mustang, Oklahoma, and years of weight lifting in the gym. Heading into the Olympics, the 350-pound athlete had won seven straight US championships and had set numerous American weight lifting records.

In Athens, Greece, Shane broke two of his own records. He lifted 524 pounds in the clean and jerk, and he ended with a total weight of 948 pounds. However, Iran’s Hossein Rezazadeh proved he was the world’s strongest man as he lifted a combined 1,041.7 pounds to win the gold medal. Shane had to settle for seventh.

What’s the Score?

Shane had dreamed of being an Olympian from the time he was eight years old. He played football and wrestled in high school and then fell in love with weight lifting. Pretty soon he was breaking world records in power lifting—even bench pressing 551 pounds and squatting more than 1,000 pounds! In 1996, Shane watched the Summer Games and decided to switch to Olympic weight lifting. Shane quickly mastered the new techniques and broke more than 30 American records. Shane knew God had blessed him athletically. Even at 350 pounds, Shane could do a standing backflip and dunk a basketball. Often during competitions, Shane would write “Jesus” on one of his shoes and “Can” on the other.

Shane always credited God with his success. “I feel really blessed that I was raised in a Christian home,” Shane said. “I was able to keep my eyes straight on God my whole life, which was really cool.” Shane saw God answer prayers and give him strength that he didn’t know he had. At the 1999 National Weightlifting Championships, he took first place even though he had two dislocated wrists! The Bible says in Lamentations that “the LORD is good to those who depend on him. . . . It is good for people to submit at an early age to the yoke of his discipline” (3:25-27). Shane followed God from a young age. By putting God first, he experienced a multitude of blessings.

On the Ball

Do you put God first in your life? Make a commitment to be disciplined and to always follow him. Depending on God from a young age will make your life better.

Coach’s Comment

The LORD is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. . . . And it is good for people to submit at an early age to the yoke of his discipline. Lamentations 3:25-27