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. 

How You Start Doesn’t Matter If You Don’t Finish Well

The recently completed Summer Olympics filled me with very mixed emotions. I’ve always enjoyed the pageantry of the games, the thrill of victory converging with the agony of defeat, and the opportunity to exude patriotic pride by rooting for U.S. competitors. All the world coming together on a single stage, finely tuned athletes vying for their moments of fame.

 

But the heightened politicization of the games has become a turn-off. I’m like the person that doesn’t want different foods to touch on her plate. I like my sports to be solely about sports, untainted by political posturing and ideologies. The “east is east and west is west, and never the twain shall meet” perspective.

 

Nevertheless, I watched enough of the competition to reaffirm an underlying principle: It’s not about how you start, but how you finish. Whether in gymnastics, where a beautiful routine on the balance beam can be spoiled by a poor dismount; a runner who leads the pack early on but falters toward the end of a race; or a beach volleyball team that wins the opening set but loses momentum and drops a match – it’s all about finishing well.

One of the most thrilling events was a relay race in swimming. A team trailed going into the final leg, but then the star swimmer leaped into the pool, slowly gaining on the leader until he secured the victory in the final meters. It’s all about the finish.

 

For most of us, the closest we’ll ever get to the Summer or Winter Olympics is our couch or recliner, watching the competition in glorious, digital color on our TVs. But we’re all engaged in a race – the race of life. The marks we leave, our legacies, will be determined not by how well we started or how noble our intentions were, but how we finished. 

 

We can all think of people – family members, friends, or famous individuals – who failed to finish well. Celebrities, public officials, business executives, even Christian leaders who captured the admiration of many during their lives only to have their reputations sullied, even destroyed, by moral or ethical failures exposed after their deaths. 

 

How do we ensure a good finish to our lives? That’s a question that, with the passing of years, I ask again and again. I doubt anyone would want an epitaph to read, “Started well…but his (or her) finish? Not so good.”

 

We can turn to the world of sports for clues to finishing well. Because no athlete excels, especially at such a high level as the Olympics, without certain key qualities to propel their performance. Here are some of them, along with some biblical principles we all can apply for successfully finish life’s race:

 

Following the rules. Each sport has basic rules each athlete must follow. Failure to abide by them results in defeat or disqualification. “…if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules” (2 Timothy 2:5).

 

Persevering despite obstacles. Adversity is a fact of life; the key is to persevere and push through, no matter how great the challenge. “…one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).

 

Avoiding distractions. Top athletes can become tempted by many things that deter them from their mission. They must avoid anything that doesn’t help in achieving their goals. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Hebrews 12:1)

 

Maintaining a clear focus. Every athlete knows that to succeed requires intense concentration, developing a tunnel vision that focuses on the desired end result. “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:2-3).

 

Refusing to quit. Giving up, no matter how near or far the finish line may be, guarantees failure. Tiredness, setbacks and discouragement happen, but they don’t justify quitting. “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).

 

Remaining resolute. One reason for failure is forgetting the motivation for putting in all the hard work, the sacrifice and effort. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

Rejoicing in a strong finish.When determined athletes reach the finish line, whether they win or not, they can celebrate as long as they’ve given it their best. No regrets.“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). 

It’s All in the Finish

This weekend Summer Olympic competition begins and many of us will spend hours in front of the TV – or online – watching hundreds of the world’s greatest athletes battle for gold, silver and bronze in their respective events. Most of these will be thrilling to watch, but whether it’s swimming, track and field, basketball, soccer, field hockey, synchronized swimming or some other sport, there will be a common theme:

All that matters is how you finish.

Often as we observe the events, we will see athletes make a fast start, leading the field of competitors whether in the 1,500-meter run, a sprint, 200-meter butterfly, marathon or cycling. The question will be, can the athlete maintain the pace and be there at the finish?

Watching the recent U.S. Olympic swimming trials, for example, commentators frequently spoke about a swimmer’s “strong finish.” He or she might not lead early in the race, but the athlete had the capacity to finish strong, many times coming from behind to win. A gymnast might look great at the start of her balance beam routine, but will she bobble and fall off, or fail to nail her dismount? To win, a good start must be followed by an equally good finish.

This blog is not about sports, but often the world of athletics provides good metaphors for everyday life. Finishing well is one of them.

Apart from the Olympics, we’ve seen other examples. Joe Paterno, legendary football coach at Penn State, was regarded by many as the sport’s best ever. But revelations he apparently had knowledge of a former assistant’s sexual abuse of young boys over many years will forever tarnish his image. His statue has been removed. Decades ago another exceptional coach, Woody Hayes at Ohio State, also had commendable life accomplishments diminished when TV viewers witnessed his final act on a football field, a frustrated punch thrown at a player from the opposing team.

In “real life,” we also see examples of people that don’t finish nearly as well as they started: Couples exchanging wedding vows, aglow with love for one another, filing for divorce a few years later. A promising young employee that initially seems an up-and-coming star for the company, whose job performance lapses into mediocrity. A respected business executive caught up in ethical shortcuts. A nationally known political leader’s moral failures being exposed.

It’s easy to start well. You’re filled with excitement, enthusiasm and energy, confident of success. But as weeks, months and years pass, the challenge of persevering, the reality the task at hand demands endurance and daily rededication, can discourage and dishearten. The temptation arises to compromise cherished values and principles. A strong finish is no longer assured.

That’s why, perhaps with a sigh of relief, the apostle Paul wrote at the end of his life, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). He wasn’t writing about an athletic competition – he was referring to victory in “the game of life.”

Through the years I’ve observed many people also start fast spiritually, but slow down as they near the finish line. Sometimes they drop out of the race entirely. But I’m thankful for many examples of men and women I’ve known that finished their race in the faith – and finished well. Every day they inspire me to do the same.

So as you watch some of the Olympic events over the next couple of weeks, take a moment: Ask yourself, “How am I doing in my own race? Am I doing what I need to do to finish well?”

Hopefully your answer will be a positive one. But if not, what needs to change?