It’s that time again, the Winter Olympics are going on as we speak in Vancouver, Canada! You know, I absolutely LOVE watching the Olympics. I mean, LOVE it. Each athlete going out into an arena, going on course, stepping up to the starting line, just giving it their all and then some, leaving it all out on their performance. No stone unturned, all the preparation leading up to one moment; one race; one performance; one run; one ride; one game; for one chance to take home - the gold. Most of the athletes train all their lives for that one moment, all of the investment; the training; the working out and dieting; the conditioning; the practice runs; the time and money; the focus; it all coming down to that one moment. I mean, wow, that can be a lot of pressure, right?
I’ll share something about my past, that I would fair to say maybe only half of my current friends today actually know about me. And about half of the friends in my life that know about my past, probably don’t even know the whole story.
It’s funny how when time passes, the moments we lived for only become a small memory; a vague recollection of photos and feelings we recall in our minds. When I was 9 years old, I began horseback riding, dancing, and softball. Soon thereafter, my parents encouraged me to choose one sport instead of three, so like any young girl who was horse crazy, I chose the horses. After one year of riding, the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics were all over the TV and since I was only 10 years old, I would spend my mornings watching the Olympics until my Mom could take me to the barn on her lunch hour. I began dreaming about being the best equestrian rider in the world as I watched Michael Matz (famous equestrian rider, who won the Bronze medal that year) and Anne Kurzinski perform on the United States Equestrian Team. I would hold mock “medal ceremonies” in my backyard and sing the USA National Anthem on the top of my lungs for the whole neighborhood to hear (the podium was actually some wooden steps I used to jump into our pool, my bouquet of “roses” were some weeds, and I used a ring pop on a string for a medal). It was my whole life.
Well, fast forward 10 years….7 National Titles later - in the USA and Canada, 1 Equitation rider of the year award, #2 year end ranking by the United Professional Horseman’s Association, and finally I was competing for a spot on team USA to compete at the 2002 World Cup held in Capetown, South Africa. I learned a lot about winning, and I learned a lot about losing. You see, in the world of competition, giving 100% isn’t enough. You have to give 150%, ALL the time. When you aren’t riding, your reviewing past rides on video; when you aren’t reviewing past rides, your conditioning; when you aren’t conditioning, your traveling to competitions; when you aren’t traveling to competitions, you are looking at your equipment for improvements; it never ends, always improving.
I learned valuable lessons about being dedicated, being determined, about how to not fear failure or even success. I learned that the only competitor in any true competition is yourself. The minute you start comparing yourself to others and how they train, or compete, you lose. You can’t control how fast others excel or how they train, but you can control your own training ethic and what you put into it. It’s always you against you out there, no matter how deep and wide the competition field. However, there comes a point in every athlete’s career when you want to give up. It gets hard, really hard. Your body gets sore or injured, you get tired of passing up on “normal life” and you come face to face with the biggest question every athlete faces and that’s this: Why? Why do we do it? Why do I do this sport? What is my reason to keep training? To keep competing? To keep conditioning?
One valuable thing, probably the most valuable thing I learned towards the end of my equestrian career, is that unless Jesus Christ is involved, it’s just another win. It’s just another ribbon, another trophy, another medal, another sum of money that will get used up somehow, and that’s it. Sure, you'll be "the best" for a while, but then what? Your name goes into a record, and the organization may print your name in a book every year at new competitions, and that’s it. People come and go in the sport, and sometimes the new-comers to the sport may hear of your name and how you were a great athlete, you might inspire them to be great too, and then on goes the cycle. However, most of the time, the trophies and ribbons get dusty, the roses wilt then die, the money gets spent, and people slowly start to forget who you are and what you did, or won. Then what?
So, why do it? My point is, as an athlete, at the end of your life, you may say, “Why yes, I did win a gold medal, or National Championship, or MVP….here is the medal or trophy!” But just like any other material possession, you aren’t taking it with you when you die. It stays here, and sure, your legacy of great athleticism may live on, but who is it glorifying? You or our Creator?
God gives us our athletic ability to glorify Him, it’s a gift from Him. Without Him, we wouldn’t have the ability to ride, to run, to ski, to skate, to play, to swim, to compete in anything. So, in the midst of that glorious victory moment, there is a choice to glorify God, our Creator, or glorify yourself.
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. – Psalm 139:13-14, NIV
For competitors, it’s a challenge to not let your sport become an idol, or your ability to perform the sport. However, if you don’t make an effort to keep God number one, it becomes all about you and your win, instead of God’s glory and God’s win. It always makes me smile when I see our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ compete and win, for God’s glory, as it is an ambassador of Christ standing on the podium. The sports we love become such a battlefield to fight idolatry, but it is Christ in us, who can emerge to have the glory if we make Him the center of our lives regardless of our chosen field of endeavor.
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. – 1 Corinthians 9:24, NIV
In the above verse, I believe God is calling us to go out and be the best at what we do, especially in the sports arena. However, it is not for our selfish glory, for the glory goes to our Creator, our heavenly Father. It is His name, and not our name, that is to hit the media waves; the history books (not to mention our Father is in the best seller of ALL time, the Bible); Twitter; Facebook; and any other social or media outlet out there discussing the victory of athletes. It’s what you do with your spotlight, do you keep it for yourself, or do you use it to further God’s kingdom?
For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. – James 3:16, NIV
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. – Philippians 2:3, NIV
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. – Galatians 5:19-21, NIV
We are called to do NOTHING for our own ambition, but to honor God with everything. Every good gift is from above, the spotlight and the podium belongs to God. When we get that trophy, that medal, the roses, the award, the "best" performance, what do we do with it? Let’s give the glory to our Creator, our heavenly Father, for without Him, we could not even compete.
Present day, I have ridden a horse one time in the last 7 years. I retired at the end of 2002 with God leading me in the direction of academic pursuits and a different career. Today, I’m lucky if a rider remembers seeing me in the arena nearly 10 years ago. I couldn’t even tell you where any of the ribbons are that I earned (and there have been over 500); I dried out some roses from victory ceremonies, and I’m certain they are in the bottom of a box somewhere in the attic; my trophies have either broke from moving or have dust on them in some box somewhere. It’s all just a memory, and I still strive to convey to many that Jesus Christ is the entire reason for my success, both in and out of the competition arena. It is Him that I want people to remember, not me. And to be honest, I could have always done a better job at bringing Him glory at each opportunity I earned. Competing was one of the best times of my life, and I don’t regret one second of it. God is such a good God, and His plan for us is perfect. How are you using your victories? How are you using your passions for God’s glory?
I’m praying for you dear friends! I know God is using you, your abilities, and your passions to glorify Him. I pray that you make Him the center of every training session, every victory ceremony, every acceptance speech, every interview, and I pray for open doors for you to share Him at each corner. He made you for this moment, He made you for this life, and He has it all planned out. Let the spectators remember God’s glory through you, instead of your own which fades away. I love y’all! Many blessings and more victories to you!
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