Eternal Gold Medal

All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. . . . I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should.

1 Corinthians 9:25-27

Sports have always been a big part of my husband’s life. Mark told me that when he was five years old and went outside to shoot hoops, he refused to come in for supper until he had made one hundred points! His strict personal training paid off when he was later offered a full scholarship to play basketball at the University of Virginia. At UVA, Mark was assigned to room with an athlete outside his sport, the first time this had happened. Mark and his roommate, Don Flow, a football player, helped start the first FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) chapter there. (In his remarks at a recent FCA reunion banquet, Mark lightheartedly commented that he had to make it clear to the UVA football players that FCA didn’t stand for “Follow Chicks Around.”)

Mark coaches and teaches sports to this day, so you can understand why watching the Olympics every two to four years is a Newlen priority. I like hearing the athletes’ stories and admire them for all the time and training it took for them to achieve their goal. It makes me ask myself, What does my spiritual training look like?

Paul knew his body was the temple of the Holy Spirit, and he knew how easily he could dishonor it through giving way to temptation. He encourages us to discipline ourselves like an athlete, always in training to do what we should for an eternal prize. Let’s sweat a bit about our own weak areas and ask God to specifically show us where we may be flabby in running His race on this earth. Just as athletes tone muscle with use, we can tone our faith muscles for greater effectiveness in the marathon God sets before us by daily exercise in the Word of God and physically doing what He says.

We already have a gold medal in Jesus Christ, so we can run with purpose in every step. Let’s make every step count today as we discipline our spiritual muscles.