Olympics

Dearest Ones,

Everybody loves a winner! Unbelievable effort is poured into creating winners in our culture. The Olympics are right around the corner and athletes from all over the world are setting their hearts on the Gold! Athletes train year round several hours a day, learning discipline, sacrifice, skill and perseverance. . and what are they doing all this for? For a medal! We Christians are also working hard toward a reward, but it is not a material one - it is something much better! God is preparing an eternal reward in heaven for us right now! What if you spend years and years preparing to win a medal and then fail? But have you really failed? Not necessarily. The important thing is not the medal, but the most important thing is: did all the preparation and practice make you a better person? How can you tell if you are a better person? Ask yourself these questions.... 1) Am I more loving to my neighbor?2) Am I more forgiving?3) Am I more unselfish?If you can answer "yes" to these questions, then you've won something better than a medal. Don't get me wrong - there's nothing wrong about using your God-given gifts competing in sports. When we use our gifts, God is pleased. It's only when one considers winning more important than pleasing God or when we give the glory to ourselves, instead of giving all the glory to God. * The goal of life is not just raising good kids.* The goal of life is not to have a million dollars in the bank.* The goal of life is not to have your own business.* The goal of life is not to travel the world.* The goal of life is not to have your name in the Hall of Fame.The highest and holiest calling in life is to know Christ.Jesus says it like this: "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself." It is great to stand in a stadium full of people and get rewarded with a medal. How much greater to stand in front of God and have him look you in the eye and say, "You are a good servant. I am so pleased with you." The apostle Paul was deeply interested in athletics. He compares the Christian life to a race. He thought what is true for athletes in a race is true for Christians in the race of life. Paul says, "Everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ. I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I may have Christ. " For Paul, one of the greatest Christians to ever walk this planet, it would have been easy after being a Christian for thirty years and looking at all his accomplishments, to just sit back and coast, thinking, I've pretty much done everything I need to do. And yet, he says, "I haven't arrived. I'm not satisfied. I still struggle. I'm not perfect." He believed he needed to spend the rest of his days deepening his relationship with Christ. In Acts 13-14, Paul says, "Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven." Let's make it our ambition to "finish well" and stay faithful until the very last day of our journey. It's good to ask ourselves this question: How many more people will be in heaven because of me? Please remember: we are all WINNERS in the eyes of God, as long as we grow closer to Christ, who calls us, saying, "Take courage. Be not afraid. I am with you always."

Loving you always in Christ,
Sister Francelle