Summary

Olympian Sifting Word on the Week 10th August 2024.
The second week of the Olympics is given over largely to athletics. The sport of competing in track and field events presents an enthralling spectacle to those who admire their fellow human beings stretched to their limits of excellence. The Paris Olympics this week had this in abundance.
World records, Olympic records and Personal Best were flagged along with the times/distance/height/etc. the competitor had achieved. The TV companies vied with each other to present the best commentary and coverage. As a result, we had a ‘ringside’ seat!
Rigorous drug testing has ensured that performance enhancing drugs were excluded. It was not always this well supervised. Not long ago, when suggestions for an Olympic badge were sought, a cynic submitted a facsimile of a chemical factory! Thankfully these days are gone.
National prestige features large. The flag and anthem belonging to the winning Nation are hoisted and played. The medals, Gold, Silver and Bronze are distributed along with a scroll of the games. Photographs are taken with the ever present cell-phone and good wishes, usually in the form of hugs, distributed to competitors, family and friends.
It’s in the nature of competition that anything less than gold is failure! Some do drop the bar slightly and aim for a place on the rostrum taking either silver or bronze. But spare a thought for the misery of the multitude who, full of ambition, come short.
The athlete who, pipped at the post, comes 4th as our Rhasidat Adeleke did after the 400 m final, must have a hard time handling defeat! However, the Bible says you learn more from your failures than your successes (Ecclesiastes 7 verses 2 to 3).
In order to grasp this point, you need to separate your sense of worth, your identity, from your performance. Equating significance with achievement will always leave your self-esteem at the mercy of the natural ups and downs sinners have on earth.
God’s way is better. “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5 verse 8).
The good news of the gospel is that this love is not based on anything you do. You are valued and loved not because of the talents you have or the honesty with which you compete. You are included in ‘God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3 verse 16). Believe in Him whether you are first or last!