Lessons We Could Learn from the Summer Olympics

How much of the Summer Olympics did you watch? I didn’t sit glued to the TV to catch every moment. But I made sure to view my favorite events, including women’s gymnastics, swimming, and some of the track and field competitions.

 

Alas, time hurries on and thoughts have already shifted to the next Summer Olympics, scheduled for Los Angeles in 2028. By now, some guy with less brains than brawn has probably taken his gold medal to have it bronzed. I did hear the final competitor in the marathon is just meters away from the finish line.

Watching the splish-splashing and thrashing through the water; dashing and striding from start to finish; throwing and kicking of balls through hoops and nets; and flexing of muscles to display various acts of strength and coordination, it occurred to me many principles for everyday living were on display. Here are some of them, along with biblical truths supporting them:

 

It’s not how you start, but how you finish. In the 100-meter dash, race favorite Noah Lyles trailed as the finish line rapidly neared. However, with an amazing finishing kick, the USA’s Lyles won the event in a photo finish, leaning in to beat Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson by five-thousands of a second. 

 

This reminded me of a declaration by the apostle Paul, writing to his protégé, Timothy. Paul wasn’t talking about running a sprint but rather a marathon, spiritually speaking. He said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). His mission was complete.

 

Perseverance pays off. The Olympic Games come around only once every four years, so for most of us it’s two weeks of entertainment, then we turn our attention to something else. Not so for the athletes. They devote thousands of hours leading up to the Games, arising early and staying late to practice and hone their skills. They suffer injuries, endure the pain of the daily practice grind, and fight off moments when they’re tempted to quit.

 

Again, Paul wasn’t writing about athletic competitions but the challenge of remaining true to faith in Christ regardless of the obstacles. He said, “…we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts…” (Romans 5:3-5).

 

Olympic hopefuls endure intense training and sacrifice, all for the opportunity to represent their respective countries and try to win a medal. As believers, we’re called to persevere through good times and bad, through triumphs, failures and hardships, all to one day hear our Lord say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21).

 

Every one of us in necessary. The U.S. women’s team advanced to the finals of their 4-by-400-meter relay races, as did the U.S. men’s team in the 4-by-100-meter relay. However, the teams experienced markedly different results. The women’s team, featuring Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone – who had already won the 400-meter hurdles gold medal – set a world record running for the gold together. Their baton exchanges were flawless, and each woman contributed to their achievement.

 

The men’s 100-meter relay team, however, bungled a baton exchange and was disqualified for not completing the transfer within the specified distance. Based on their earlier individual performances, the four men had been favored to win. However, they proved the wisdom of the adage, “A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.” Individually the men ran well, but they failed in meshing together, extending U.S. losses in the event to 20 years.

 

In 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 we find an analogy to this: “Now the [human] body is not made up of one part but of many…. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” In the women’s 400-meter relay, every member was honored and the team rejoiced. Misery, however, was etched on the faces of the hapless men’s 100-meter relay team.

 

Your best is the best you can do. Of the thousands of Olympic competitors, most never win a medal at all, much less gold. For them, participating and having the honor of representing their countries is their reward. But it was clear virtually all of them did the best they could, even in medal-less defeat.

 

The same applies for us as followers of Jesus Christ. Colossians 3:23-24 admonishes, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Most of us will never receive public recognition or become known as the world’s best at something. But if we have done the best we can for the Lord, that is enough. Which leads to the final principle I’ll cite:

 

Ultimately, God deserves the credit. Even though athletes reportedly were instructed to refrain from any religious expressions, a number of them still managed to use their performances as an opportunity to speak out for their faith in God. 

 

Among them were McLaughlin-Levrone; American Cole Hocker, who stunned by winning the men’s 1,500-meter run in another near-photo finish; and Gabriel Medina, a surfer from Brazil. His photographic image was captured in midair with his surfboard, pointing to the sky in a gesture recognized by people of his nation as a statement of faith.

Speaking to His disciples, Jesus said, “Whoever serves Me must follow Me; and where I am, My servant will be. My Father will honor the one who serves Me” (John 12:26). During the recent Summer Olympics it was heartening to see that despite moments when it seemed to the contrary, the Lord was served and honored.