Go for the Gold

Michael Phelps wanted to do what no one else had done. His goal was not to be an Olympic swimmer or to win a medal or even a Gold, worthy goals indeed. But Phelps was looking higher. He said in an interview, "I want to do what no one else has done." In the post-Mark Spitz era, that can only mean one thing: to win the Gold medal in all eight aquatic events. Spitz achieved a paltry seven Golds in the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Who dares to be the best? "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. 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 9.24,25). "Strict training" for the Christian involves the painful loss of self and the tedious attention to thought, word and deed. This is impossible when we lose sight of the eternal. Lord, give me the drive to excel in things that matter.