Novels, Dragons, and Wardrobe Doors: What We Can Learn From The Olympics

Unless you live under a rock, you're aware that the eyes of the whole world are currently fixed on Brazil. As athletes from around the world gather to prove they're better than their competitors, I am glued to the couch, with a Team USA t-shirt, hat, and waving an American flag.

I'm only slightly exaggerating.

I hate watching sports. Like... seriously. I go to the Superbowl parties that our youth group throws every year (mostly for the food, *cough*) and I spend more than half of it majorly confused and last year I ended up just giving up and watching The Smurfs with the youth pastor's kids. Keep me far away from football. Unless you want sarcastic comments or confused expressions. Then I'm your girl.

But every two years, I can't wait to sit with my family and devote every second of my life to chanting,

Why does it excite me so much? I only wish I knew.

But this year I truly wondered - what keeps the world coming back to the Olympics? I mean, sure, it's great for an athlete to say, "I won a medal on the world's biggest stage," but surely there's more to it than that.

True, the Olympics were begun in the pagan culture of the Ancient Greeks, in honor of Zeus and Nike and probably Ares and who knows what other gods. True, they used to be blood-thirsty, "may the best man live" types of events. But in the modern era, the spirit of the Olympics has represented peace, determination, and healthy competition.

So what can we, as Christians, learn from the Olympics?

1. Awe

"Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him."

~ Psalm 33:8

I got chills during the Opening Ceremony, and here's why: the absolute awe on the faces of the athletes. One flag-bearer was crying as he entered. So many small countries, so many with only 2 to 6 competitors, each so thankful to be there. It was in that moment that it sunk in, "We're at the Olympics, guys." Mom pointed out, and I agree, that the USA sent the biggest delegation (554 in total), and for us, it wasn't quite as huge a deal. It's still big, yes, but there's a good chance many of them will have another shot next time around. For the majority of athletes, this is their one chance. They probably won't win a medal, they very likely won't even be top 10, but it doesn't matter to them. They're at the Olympics. They've made it.

Why don't we act that way about God? We have no chance of earning His love, we have no shot of reaching Him on our own, but just coming into His presence, just being able to come straight up to the Throne, that should be enough to make us cry in awe of how great He is. We're at the feet of the creator of the universe, guys. Let that sink in.

2. Encouragement

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

~ Ephesians 4:29

The one thing I noticed most during the Opening Ceremony was the camaraderie between the athletes. There genuinely seemed to be a friendship between the competitors, something I didn't see much of in London. The athletes, after they marched in, were encouraged to mingle, which was a first. Granted, there seemed to be huge clumps of Americans "mingling", but I saw a lot of friendships being formed.

Encouragement is a big part of the Body of Christ. I think encouragement is one of my spiritual gifts, honestly. I love encouraging people.

We are all made in God's image. We all have gifts. Some, like the teams in Rio, are athletically talented (unlike me *cough cough*). Some have talents in music, or writing, or speaking, or patience, or understanding God's Word. There are so many gifts in the world, and none of us have all of them. But encouraging those who do have talents you don't is important.

I don't know if you've noticed (although really how could you miss it), the USA women's gymnastics team has a tendency to yell encouraging remarks at each other. I always wonder how it doesn't distract the one performing, but the concept is cool. While I don't suggest screaming "YOU GOT THIS!" at your fellow believers... well, maybe say that in a quieter tone. "You got this." I always feel better after hearing that.

3. Training

"Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever."

~ 1 Corinthians 9:25

My goodness, these people do a lot of training. Their whole lives are dedicated to those few minutes they show their talent (or less... or more *looks pointedly at cycling*).

We, too, should train. I've been doing AWANA since I was a cute little 3-year-old, and Mom counts it as one of the best decisions my parents have made concerning my siblings and I. Because I'm trying not to take up all your time with this, I will direct you to the website if you don't know what AWANA is: https://www.awana.org/

Verses from as far back as second grade pop into my head when I need them. And even if you haven't been in AWANA since childhood, I encourage (hehe) you, memorize scripture. Train your mind to think like Jesus thinks (although we won't be able to really do that until we're in Heaven).

4. Determination

"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

Just watching a rowing race, you can see the determination on each face. As the muscles begin to burn and stiffen, as breathing becomes heavier, as the elements work against them, the athletes become even more determined to cross that finish line. "This is my moment," their faces seem to say, "I'm not letting this go." They shake off all the problems and just run, or pedal, or swim, or row.

The same thing should be true of us when we hear God's calling. When He says, "Go," we should go. No questions, no hesitation. Crank up into high gear and hit that pavement with everything you've got. Yes, it's scary. There's the possibility that when you jump, you'll land wrong and hurt something. But I guess that's why it's called a "leap of faith".

5. Legacy

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

~ 2 Timothy 4:7

One of my favorite things is watching previous Olympians become coaches. They continue their legacy by inspiring and pushing the next generation. They have left their footsteps for others to follow, and still continue to help those behind to exceed the places they reached.

Those who have gone before us are always an inspiration to me. But it's occurring to me more lately: what will be the impact I've made when I'm gone? Will those behind me be inspired by my life and faith? There's no way to say, of course, but each of us can do what we can to leave our legacy behind. Granted, it's not likely that impact will be in the history books, or in how many Olympic medals we won, but perhaps we will be remembered as more than the generation of electronics and the internet.

As Steve Green so wonderfully sang: "May all who come behind us find us faithful. May the fire of our devotion light their way. May the footprints that we leave lead them to believe, and the lives we live inspire them to obey."

So let's go into this Olympics with our minds on Him.

Even as we chant.

And clap.

And scream.