Running Toward Jesus

The apostle Paul would use sports analogies to illustrate spiritual truth, and coming up on The Meeting House, you'll hear about a real-life runner who depends on the Lord strengthen and direct her.  In 1st 
Corinthians 9, we can read these words:
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.

Self-control is described as a fruit of the Spirit. Self-discipline can serve to undergird us as we serve the Lord. We have to develop the self-awareness to recognize when we are obeying the Lord and when we are not.  We can learn to see ourselves in the light of God's truth and learn to apply that truth as we live each day. By placing our confidence in the Lord and concentrating on pleasing Him, we find that He will express Himself through us in a powerful way.

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The confidence we have in the Lord can sustain us in our everyday struggles; and when we mess up, the message is to come before the Lord and receive His forgiveness. Confidence in the faithfulness of God may not grab headlines or create drama, but it brings glory and honor to Him. James chapter 5 states:
16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

The 2021 Summer Olympics are set to get underway in Tokyo in a couple of weeks, and the headline-grabbing news leading up to the summer games, postponed from last year due to COVID has to do with bad behavior on the part of athletes.  One of the storylines has to do with whether or not athletes representing America should respect the national anthem of their country.

Gwen Berry, the third-place finisher in the recent Olympic trials for the hammer throw, upstaged the first-and second-place athletes.  According to the New York Post, during the National Anthem on the medal platform, she "shifted to face the stands rather than the flag before holding up a black shirt that read, 'Activist Athlete.'" She said, “I feel like it was a setup, and they did it on purpose..."

It was not always this way, it seems.  According to the Outkick.com website, now that it's "trendy," she feels free to show this disrespect.  The article says:

Noted by Twitter user Tim Young, Berry released a personal website leading up to the games in Rio that showcased a radical difference in political beliefs held by the track and field athlete.

The website’s description of Berry frequently alludes to a pride for country, while the picture of Gwen hoisting the American flag with a smile appears to support the sentiment.

Then, there's Sha'carri Richardson, who won't be representing the U.S.A. in the Olympics due to the use of marijuana.  ESPN included this in a report:

"I apologize," Richardson said on NBC's "Today" show. "As much as I'm disappointed, I know that when I step on the track I represent not only myself, I represent a community that has shown great support, great love. ... I apologize for the fact that I didn't know how to control my emotions or deal with my emotions during that time."

The article said, "She said she knew the rules but that her use of marijuana was a coping mechanism after finding out her biological mother had died."

It is astounding and disappointing how people make headlines for wrong reasons - as a culture, we gravitate toward drama, and ideally, we should highlight the truly heartwarming, virtuous stories, such as the faith-related narrative carried by Sydney McLaughlin, another American track star.

Movieguide relates that:

Despite record temperatures causing delays, American athlete Sydney McLaughlin set a new world record for the women’s 400m hurdles at the US Olympic trials.

She became the first woman to clock under 52 seconds in that event. The article, including material from a FoxNews.com story, goes on to say:

McLaughlin responded to her record-setting time by thanking God.

“The face of a woman who is in awe of God 🙏🏽 51.90,” McLaughlin wrote on her Instagram under a photo of her reacting to her time.

“I could feel this meet was going to be something special… but MAN. Weeks like these are some of the hardest in a track athletes life. The mental strain of preparing for the rounds in order to solidify your spot is heavy enough. But the amount of weight the Lord took off my shoulders, is the reason I could run so freely yesterday,” McLaughlin said.

There's more - the runner stated: “My faith was being tested all week. From bad practices, to 3 false start delays, to a meet delay. I just kept hearing God say, ‘Just focus on me,'” ... “It was the best race plan I could have ever assembled. I no longer run for self recognition, but to reflect His perfect will that is already set in stone. I don’t deserve anything. But by grace, through faith, Jesus has given me everything. Records come and go. The glory of God is eternal. Thank you Father.”

Good for Sydney McLaughlin - certainly she will be someone to watch during the upcoming Games.  Not for drama off the track, sort of speak, but on it.  Many will be keeping their eyes, unfortunately, on Gwendolyn Berry to see how she disrespects the country that she is representing.  The problem is that drama sells, outrageous actions and comments rule the day, it seems.  The stature of a Christian is not to make headlines, but to make sure we are following the Head.  Sydney seems to be someone who is dedicated to being her best, which involves being faithful to train on the track, and to train herself to focus on God and His power. 

And, while Sydney demonstrates a quiet confidence in the Lord, there is a lesson to be learned from Sha'carri, as well.  There's not necessarily a spiritual element to her story, but she does remind us how we need to own up to our mistakes. Members of a Fox News panel called attention to her response the other day. She broke the rules, she is paying the price.  She apologized - she didn't criticize the rules or come up with some excuse.  The Bible tells us that the person who covers his or her sin will not prosper.  For the Christian, we can know that forgiveness is available - that doesn't mean we won't face the consequences of sin, but we know that we are right with Him.