An Olympian For Christ

     I had the chance to watch the 2010 Winter Olympic this year and was amazed to see how prepared all the athletes were for the winter games. The athletes’ preparation prepared them for the real thing: the competition.

     As I sat and watched the games, I compared the athletes’ preparation for their competition to that of Christians and their preparation of an eternal life with Christ. Do we as Christians put this much effort into getting prepared to face everyday challenges? These athletes spent hours engaged in deep thoughts, personal private time preparing themselves for the competition. I can only imagine what was going through their minds.  Were they thinking about how they would attack their opponents? Are they in deep thought about how rewarding it would feel to win the competition or how proud their family, coach, and teammates would be of their accomplishments. To win the gold would be heavenly. These thoughts and reactions are common practices for athletes because they have mentally prepared themselves for this moment. My question to you today is this, are you preparing yourself mentally to meet Jesus?  Are you preparing yourself to excel as a follower of Christ? Do you spend quiet time with Him? Do you study the word so you can get to know him better? Everyday we should be preparing ourselves to meet Jesus: the eternal reward. Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochetta lost her mother doing the event, but she did not let her mother’s death stop her from performing. Do we stop praising Him when challenges come into our lives? It is time for us to look beyond the challenges of this life and to allow God to create in us an eternal perspective. Let our eyes be on the prize, (Jesus) the gold medal just like the athletes at the 2010 Winter Olympic.

     God wants our best. He wants us to start each day off with Him. He wants our best work, our best time, and our best effort. In all your trouble, seek God and honor Him, even in the thoughts that no one can hear and deep feelings of the heart that no one can know except God. “You will seek me an find me When you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13)

His LOVE

When I read the Bible, it seems that I often read some of the same things over and over again, and I understand why because the things that are repeated over and over again in the Bible are important. The one word that appears in the Bible a lot is ‘LOVE’. It appears 314 times. ‘LOVE’ is important because it is one of the laws of The Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments tells us how to love, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, thy soul, thy mind, and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Jesus came to fulfill the law and the essence of the law is to love God and others. God is love. He loved us first (1 John 4:19). God loved us so much that He sent His Son to die for our sins. We receive God’s love by believing that Jesus Christ is our Savior. We can learn the Ten Commandments, but the power to actually love comes from God. 

 

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and when we think of Valentine’s Day we think of chocolate candy in a heart shaped box, red roses and valentine cards. God’s Valentine gift to us was not chocolate candy in a heart shaped box, nor red roses. God’s gift of love was more than these things. His Valentine gift was his son Jesus Christ. Jesus love for us was sacrificial love, so you and I could live. God give us sweet salvation thru His Son Jesus Christ. So as we give to our Valentines this year let us thank God because He is the reason we have love to give.

God is love. 1 John 4:8 NIV   

Recommended Book - Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God

Begin Again New!

2009 is over and done with. There is nothing we can do to get it back. There may have been things that happen in 2009, that you are not please with, but if you ask God to forgive you, and if you are willing to start over again, you can have a clean slate with God beginning in 2010. God give us opportunities to recreate our lives. God have great plans for our future, and we might miss them if we sit around worrying about our past.

We punish ourselves with quilt, shame, and fear when we choose not to act to the opportunities that He gives us.


The most difficult challenge we face everyday is learning to live what we believe. We don’t always act like we are representatives of God. We need to remind ourselves daily that we are equipped to handle anything that come our way.

God is NOT interested in our past mistakes. He is more interested in our future successes. We are NOT disqualified.


Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is a head, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13 NIV.



I would like to highlight “10” things I want to do more of in 2010. I’m interested in hearing what you are planning on doing more of in the coming New Year! Feel free to add to or comment on the list.
1. Obedient – Listen to God when He speak to me.
2. Simplicity – Keep life simple, God is not complicated.
3. Fearless - “Fear corrodes our confidence in God’s goodness” (Max Lucado).
4. Service - Give self (time, knowledge, resources) without and attachment to the expectation of reward or recognition – (unselfish giving).
5. Order – Clean out and reorder my surrounding – If we don’t have order or space in our lives, there is little room for God will to unfold.
6. Choice - Opportunity to recreate our lives – Choice is the ability to recognize alternatives which is most desirable, admirable, and honorable.
7. Trust – God provides all things.
8. Peacefulness – Maintain a state of peace.
9. Awareness – Be more aware of the impact I have on others and the world.
10. Love – Do All Things in LOVE!