temptation:
12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
By applying the principles and power of the Scriptures, we can get a "win" over each temptation that we face. We have been given incredible resources that can be used to overcome the power of the enemy. When he attacks and attempts to lure us to act in a manner that does not please God, we can rely on those resources to bring victory. We need to clothed in our spiritual armor, using the Sword of the Spirit, God's Word, as Jesus did in the wilderness; also, we can pray and we can resist temptation's power by using the greater power that we have in Christ.
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In 1st Corinthians 9, we see a passage of Scripture that can be related to the Rio Olympic games and
instructive for our lives:
24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.
25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.
26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.
27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
The Olympics are off and running in Rio, and while the track and field events will be getting started later this week, I do want to call attention to someone who has already proven herself as a champion and is trying to earn Olympic gold in this year's Summer Olympics.
Her name is Allyson Felix. These Games are her fourth and possibly final Summer Games, at which she be competing to try to win her first 400-meter gold medal and add to her impressive career stash of six overall Olympic medals, according to a piece on the Fellowship of Christian Athletes website, which appears in Sharing the Victory magazine.
According to the story:
Felix grew up in the Los Angeles area as the daughter of a pastor and an elementary school teacher. For nearly two decades, her father, Paul, taught New Testament at The Master’s Seminary in Sun Valley, Calif. He now pastors Fairview Heights Baptist Church in Inglewood and serves as president of the Los Angeles Bible Training School.
Paul and Marlean’s spiritual influence on their children was significant. They were intentional about teaching their kids Scripture at home, bringing them to church multiple times a week and enrolling them in Christian schools. Most of all, Wes and Allyson witnessed a real, vibrant faith in their parents.
“I always looked up to my mom and dad,” says Allyson, who trusted in Christ at a young age. “They are such strong examples of faith. They have such strong belief systems. But they also lived it day in and day out. It was so encouraging to me...After winning silver medals in Athens and Beijing, she went to London and won her first gold medal in the 200 meters. She was also part of the 400-meter relay team that won Olympic gold. After her victory in the 200, the piece says that, "Felix knelt to the ground, closed her eyes and mouthed a prayer. The rest of the aftermath was a blur of hugs, photos, a victory lap and perhaps even a bit of aimless wandering as Felix tried to digest the magnitude of the moment. All the while, her megawatt smile seemed as bright as the camera flashes popping around her."
Felix relates that, "Getting that medal was so special because it represented so much trying and the process—all the moments that really aren’t glamorous or fun to have and dedicating myself to my goals—seeing all that pay off.”
Her brother, Wes, has been her agent and was pictured in a moment carrying her off the track after a hamstring injury in Moscow in 2013. He says, "Track is her life, but it’s not boring to hear her talk about it," adding, "She’s got her priorities together. She has accomplished great things, but she doesn’t feel like she has to announce it or promote it, and that comes back to Christ being the center of her life."
Allyson is quoted as saying, “I try my best...to live in a way that’s Christ-like.” She relates, "“I never expected to be a professional athlete,” adding, “I had to really trust Him and His plan for my life. We always have our own idea of how our life is going to go, but we really have to follow the Lord’s will. I had to trust Him in regards to injuries and other life situations.” The article quotes Proverbs 16:9 from the ESV: “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.”
Certainly, there were opportunities for Allyson to go in another direction: she had planned to become an elementary school teacher, she could have given up after finishing second in Beijing eight years ago, or allowed the injury in the Moscow World Games to discourage her to the point of packing it in. But she recognizes the platform she has. She says, “I feel very blessed to have a platform,” adding, “and to try my best to run for a living and bring glory to God through that.”
So, we can ask ourselves: how can I allow the Lord to use the opportunities that He has given me to glorify His name? It could be how you perform in your workplace, or service that you do in the community, and certainly how you let Christ to work through you as a spouse, a parent, or a faithful church member or leader. We all have opportunity; the challenge is to recognize how God desires to use us.
Not only do we have opportunity, but we also have the component of determination. We have a call from God on our lives, and we are called and challenged to obey Him. Not only will He open doors for us to be faithful, but He will direct and empower us into the ways of obedience. Sure, we will encounter disappointment, but He will strengthen us and enable us to keep going as He provides the way before us.
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